This book leans in hard on the story of the protagonist. Katrina Nguyen has led a life of misery as an abused transsexual girl, and that feeds her art. She is a self-taught prodigy, and Shizuka Satomi, the other main character, recognizes it in her role as a recruiter for Hell. Shizuka is in many ways a perfect foil for Katrina, and their stories meld in a way that made me reluctant to put the book down when it was time for bed. Some of the reviewers don't think the characters grew in the book--I absolutely disagree, both Shizuka and Katrina evolved considerably and it's a core element of the story.
I think a lot of people kind of glossed the rarified world of top-level violinists and violin makers, perhaps because Ryka Aoki didn't want to double the volume of the book to go into the depth of, say, junior tennis in Infinite Jest. The over-the-top drive in that space makes soul-trading and sex work for music very believable.There are parts that don't work as well. The space aliens and demons from Hell are not integrated in any plausible way. They come together mildly at the end in a way that is kind of disappointing. But ending books is both difficult and in some ways optional, especially once one has read a lot of fiction. The story in between is the point. I can only give this 3 stars but I still think it's a deserving contender for the awards it is nominated for.
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