Goth by Otsuichi:review

Goth: A Novel of Horror by Otsuichi
Stand Alone
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Age Group: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Mystery, Horror, Thriller
Publisher: TokyoPop
Release Date: October 7th 2008
Synopsis: Someone had taken apart her body in the forest. Her eyes, tongue, ears, thumbs, organs–each was nailed to a tree.

One tree had, from top to bottom: the left big toe, the upper lip, the nose, and the stomach. Another had other bits of her arranged like Christmas tree decorations.

The murder was soon the talk of the nation…

Otsuichi-san’s GOTH comes at you with a relentless awe and a taste for the twisted. In this truly shocking tale of terror, two high school sociopaths become fixated on a local serial murderer. But rather than trying to prevent and solve the next murder, their obsession grows, taking them on a descent into a maniacal darkness in which the most nightmarish acts occur.

Psychologically twisted and emotionally wrenching, this compelling story takes Japan’s horror tradition to a whole new level of fear.

My Thoughts:

Stories that are twisted and depict the darker side of humans have always simultaneously disturbed and fascinated me. I find it interesting to read about how sociopaths, psychopaths, and the like think. So, when I began reading Goth, I was absolutely captivated.

Otsuichi didn’t flinch at all when he wrote this dark, twisted tale of mystery and murder. The killers he created are dangerous, unstable, and, at times, ruthless. Goth‘s atmosphere is dark and foreboding. The two leads are very interesting characters. And Otsuichi’s mysteries are skillfully crafted with surprising twists. Really, Goth kicks a heck of a lot of butt.

If you don’t already know, Goth is somewhat of an anthology. There are different stories, each featuring a different mystery and killer, but still containing the same two leads, Morino and the narrator, whose name is unknown until the last story in the book. As the stories go by, you will start feeling like you are grasping onto the two leads and how their relationship works.

This way of telling a story might not work for everyone, but boy, did it work for me. Learning more about the two mysterious leads by finding bits and pieces to hold onto throughout each story was fun and the different mysteries that come with the different stories are hard to figure out and will sometimes even pack quite a punch. And when I think about it, Goth really couldn’t be told in any other way…

Morino and the narrator are two of the most intriguing characters I have ever encountered in fiction. These these two characters begin as enigmas and, for me, uncovering more about them was the best part of reading Goth. These two characters, both of them obsessed with death, are characters that, while I couldn’t completely love them because of how cruel they could be, I genuinely loved learning about them.

Otsuichi did a fantastic job at writing from the point of view of a sociopath. I could really fell how detached from the world and how isolated the narrator was. I could feel how merciless and unfeeling he was. There were also times when a story would be told through the eyes of the killer, which were also very well done.

Goth is a story that I was completely taken in by. This book is mysterious, twisted, and unsettling. Otsuichi really did succeed at sending chills down my spine. Goth is a fantastic read. Highly recommended!