Seven Years of Darkness

Anna Čapková

Seven Years of Darkness is that kind of a thriller that will give you goosebumps and make you feel cold. This book talks about a mistake that turns the lives of many people upside down or even ends them. It talks about the urge to avenge the deaths of your loved ones.

Jeong You-Jeong is a leading South Korean writer well known for her crime and psychological thrillers. Her works are known all over the world and have been translated into many languages including Czech (Sedum let temnoty). She is even sometimes compared to Stephan King or Raymond Chandler.

The book tells the story of a teenage boy named Soowon. His father is currently in prison for a serial murder. One of the victims was reportedly also his mother so he is living with mister Anh, his father's co-worker. They have to move all the time because wherever they go Soowon's identity gets revealed by an anonymous person who sends his classmates a magazine from the day his father was arrested.

When Soowon gets an announcement about his father's execution, mister Anh disappears and leaves the boy a file. Soowon finds out that mister Anh is writing a novel about what actually happened. He starts reading it and through that realizes the truth.

What I really loved about the book was the environment. Jeong has an excellent ability to describe the places in a way that makes you really feel like you are standing there with the characters. The biggest part of the story is happening in Seryeong, a lake reservation in a small Korean village. The atmosphere of the foggy, cold and humid nights in the remote place will really get under your skin.

I would highly recommend this novel for everyone who enjoys dark crime stories. I don't usually read such things but this book made me wonder if I actually may become a fan of this genre. If you're not into reading or you simply don't have time, you can also watch a movie adaptation.