And within all of this, there is a strong focus on family, generational memory, and femininity. She creates a layer of mysticism around nuclear power while also speaking to the practical dangers it poses-both as a producer of power and a weapon for mass destruction. I really enjoyed how Kobayashi pushes different dynamics together in this novel. The writing captures a propulsive sense of dread that keeps you turning the pages.

As the story goes on, we are bounced between narrators within the family as buried memories and connections are unveiled. Kobayashi focuses on one family, beginning with an unnamed narrator who wakes up in a sterile room with no memory of how they got there. Old people in Japan have begun to pick up black radioactive rocks and listening to voices that compel them to commit acts of terror, generally related to exposing others to high levels of radioactivity. The story brings together the history and legacy of nuclear power with three generations of women in a small family during the beginning of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. This is a really quick, but really unique read. Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this arc. I had to mull things over for a bit and reread a few sections before I was able to decide how I felt. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I will confess to feeling unsatisfied and even a bit confused upon finishing. They weren't anything that would ruin my overall impression of the story, but I could have very much gone without them.Īdditionally, a lot is left open to interpretation. Some of the revelations made in the final pages left me with a sour taste. So why isn't this book getting 5 stars? That largely has to do with the ending.

Additionally, the history of radium and social commentary woven into the narrative were both interesting and thought-provoking. This, combined with beautiful writing and a growing feeling of suspense (was the narrator losing her grip) kept me riveted. She wasn't perfect, or even always a good person, but she gave voice to feelings that many of us have likely felt before. Her sense of alienation from her young daughter and concern for her aging mother only served to make her seem more human. It was easy to empathize with her feelings of dissatisfaction with where she was at in life. We observe this from the point of view of an unnamed narrator as she struggles with her to adjust to changes and the state of her life and relationships. The disease, known as Trinity, is common in elders with dementia and is linked to 'accursed' black stones (uranite) that whisper the story of radium to the inflicted. A new disease has begun popping up leading people to commit various acts of 'terrorism'.

Trinity, Trinity, Trinity is set during the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Do you know those books that you have to ponder for a while after finishing? The ones that you honestly can't decide if you enjoyed reading or not?

Elemental by Erika Kobayashi