Book No. 27 of 2025
I found myself checking multiple times that Rainbirds wasn’t a translated book, because it has the exact vibe and writing style as a book translated from Japanese to English. Props to Goenawan for absolutely nailing that Japanese novel vibe.
There is a mysterious death at the heart of Rainbirds that the protagonist attempts to get to the bottom of, but the book is less of a murder mystery and more of a quiet unwinding—when the answer is laid out, it’s not a major event so much as it is an inevitable understanding.
In addition to being stylistically written like many a Japanese novel, the story also has a lot of familiar elements: the rebellious teenage schoolgirl, the mysterious rich people with secrets, the characters quietly grappling with personal loss, the curious coincidences that keep the plot going, the character working a job for which they’re overqualified. Overall a moody, compelling read.
Similar Reads
I was reminded of basically all the translated Japanese novels I’ve ever read, but the one that springs most to mind is The Aosawa Murders.