A slowburning mystery that lured me into the beauty of architecture and a hidden tale of guilt and redemption; so dense and intricately plotted, loving its quietude setting and how the author combined an absorbing perspective of familial conflicts and friendship with a profound career related premise. I followed Minoru Aose in his journey to uncover the truth behind the abandonment of the prizewinning Y Residence that he has designed previously for Touta Yoshino. His curiosity piqued with an uncomfortable thought that the client might be humiliatingly rejecting his creation, thus his search quest begins to find Yoshino who was unexpectedly disappeared without a trace.
A multilayered plotline that can also be quite complex to grasp; from the burst of economic bubble and its impact to a break-up in marriage and a childhood backstory that observed into one’s existential issue and emotional struggles. Love Aose’s musings and how his sleuthing work gets him to unfold his love for architecture and peek into the history and its relation to the German architect, Bruno Taut. I like that deep architectural talks in between and how it intertwined the mystery of a single chair that stood facing the north light at Y Residence and unfurled the secret behind a death tragedy.
The side characters among my fav esp Aose’s colleagues at the Okajima Design. Cute Hinako, her interaction with Aose added a little charm to his dynamic. Okajima was a bit cunning, love the friendship and I get so sentimental when Aose said he would further complete the memorial job for him. That few last chapters were so intense, and honestly the revelation by Yoshino at the end did not really thrill me that much but considering how Aose felt towards the Y Residence and his relationship with Yukari, it did break my heart a bit.
A beautiful heart-moving plot overall, bittersweet in a way yet fairly engaging for its selfhood exploration and how it touches the vast perspective of culture and the reflective outlook on the Japanese architecture.
4/5 stars.
Thank you Pansing Distribution for sending me a copy to review!