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| Seven Years of Darkness |
When a young girl is found dead in Seryong Lake, a reservoir in a remote South Korean village, the police immediately begin their investigation. At the same time, three men--Yongje, the girl's father, and two security guards at the nearby dam, each of whom has something to hide about the night of her death--find themselves in an elaborate game of cat and mouse as they race to uncover what happened to her, without revealing their own closely guarded secrets.
After a final showdown at the dam results in a mass tragedy, one of the guards is convicted of murder and sent to prison. For seven years, his son, Sowon, lives in the shadow of his father's shocking and inexplicable crime; everywhere he goes, a seemingly concerted effort to reveal his identity as the reviled mass murderer's son follows him. When he receives a package that promises to reveal at last what really happened at Seryong Lake, Sowon must confront a present danger he never knew existed.
Dark, disturbing, and full of twists and turns, Seven Years of Darkness is the riveting new novel from the internationally celebrated author of The Good Son.
****
Title : Seven Years of Darkness
Author : You-Jeong Jeong
Published Year : 2011
Pages : 336
Language : English
Genre : Asian, Suspense, Psychological Thriller
It's been so long since the last time I read a psychological thriller. Additionally, it is combined with Asian literature. So I was excited when I saw this book in a bookstore and found out later, it is trending in Indonesia.
I loved the title specifically because I can taste the angst, suspense, and darkness right away.
So it is a story about the son of a killer, Sowon. He is 18 years old now, living in a remote area with someone that like a second father to him, Mr. Ahn.
Seven-year ago, there was a tragedy that made him famous as the son of the murderer of a wife, an 11 years old girl, and her father. After that, Sowon's life is as finished as his father. He bounced from one relative to another and end up drop out of school (sabbatical I guess) and live with a stranger.
Life has never been easy for him, but he tries to make the best of it by living a simple life, working part-time, and being a diver.
Until one day, Mr.Ahn went missing and he received a parcel containing Mr.Ahn's manuscript, set of letters, and recording. Sowon took a seat and started to read the manuscript. It is about an event that happened 7 years ago, told from Mr. Ahn's point of view.
Like in the deep dark sea, Sowon in the edge of his nerve. The memories washed him out, his sweet and bitter memory about his father, Choi Hyonsu- the giant that once he loved dearly.
Choi Hyonsu once is a promising catcher that soon join to the national team. But an accident happened when Hyonsu had a honeymoon and ended his career. Later, Sowon born and become Hyonsu's whole world.
But life is not easy for someone who only knows baseball his whole life. Hyonsu worked as a security director in Seryong Dam, actually, he just received the position because his wife encouraged him.
Then the day before they moved to the Seryong dam area, an accident happen. An 11-years old girl died. A retaliation of a father's loss, a crack in Hyonsu's marriage, and his battle to stay afloat from his alcoholic urge.
After Seryong accident, Sowon's life pivoting. Seven years later, he needs to learn the truth unless he wants to lose his life as well.
In the beginning, this book is so detail and enchanting but slowly lose a grip in the middle and come back at its strongest in the ending. I always love suspense or thriller book, because it gives a never-ending question in my mind, but for this book, it has a different approach. The mystery is flipped in one fold. Along the way, the reader won't guess much because we basically know the ending, only the motives will be explored later.
I don't say it makes this book disinteresting. It is a good read, just a different sensation.
The different approach also happens with the protagonist which I am not really sure who. Nothing much happened with Sowon, he didn't investigate only read it from the manuscript and act fast to save himself. At least do investigate 40% of the story to make him the heroine of the story.
But this book is sooo rich and a lot of themes. The psychological issue, the battles between Hyonsu and himself. The trauma from the past, alcoholics, and abusive father. The part where Hyonsu sleepwalking and keep throw shoes, wretched. A hardworking, proud wife and also stubborn, when they lost their way to communicate, breaking my heart every time.
Well, all I can say it is not an ordinary thriller book like the one that 'should' tickle your brain to solve it before the end of the book. It is a book about a tragedy and maybe a common human story when we should face the same hardship.
It only takes one mistake to changes our life forever.
Anyhow, there are several unanswered questions in my mind:
- Why Mr. Ahn so attached to Sowon and tried everything to protect him? They were roommates only for several weeks.
- In the beginning, it feels that Sowon's memory is wiped out about the tragedy and then suddenly remember after reading Mr.Ahn's manuscript. He is 11 years old, the memory should stay as strong in his mind so he can know which one is better.
- A long time ago, Sowon idolizes his father so much, he understands his father very well, but after the tragedy, there was no trace of that love in Sowon's. Can love to a parent or sibling can fade away that easily? At least, Sowon tried to find the answer first before deciding to give up.
Still, I would love to recommend this book to be read!
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