“Parade” by Shuichi Yoshida (Japan)

Review

From a first novel to a first attempt at a new genre by a well-known writer, this year’s Summer Reading selection of crime fiction covered a wide range of writing styles. Readers’ opinions varied from book to book, so it was no surprise that “Parade” won the Best Summer Read 2015 by a slight margin.

“Parade” is set in Tokyo and recounts the humdrum existence of four twenty-something flatmates. Told alternately by each character, readers found the tempo in this book completely different than in the other three. They liked the characters and agreed that they were distinctive and credible. They were completely thrown by the ending, which they found shocking. One reader described the book as darkly weird and eerie.

Synopsis

Four twenty-somethings share an apartment in Tokyo. In “Parade” each tells their story: their lives, their hopes and fears, their loves, their secrets. Kotomi waits by the phone for a boyfriend who never calls. Ryosuke wants someone that he can’t have… Read more

Nicola’s Summer Reading list 2015

“Parade” by Shuichi Yoshida (Japan) *
“Buried” by Jussi Adler-Olsen (Denmark)
“The Fall of Saints” by Wanjiku wa Ngugi (Kenya)
“Ripper” by Isabel Allende (Chile) 

* Best Summer Read