Synopsis: Shiori is a young woman who has always known she wanted to be a troubadour, a musician who sings about the beauty of the world. However there is one problem, Shiori is completely tone-deaf and her singing causes pain to everyone who hears it. When she turns 18 Shiori moves to Tokyo to pursue a degree in songwriting and accidentally falls in with a bad crowd. It is one of these new friends who leaves Shiori a unique gift that could lead to explosive results.  

My Thoughts: Mysterious Setting is possibly the most shocking introduction I have had to an author. I am using the word shocking here positively and negatively. The first two-thirds of this book are difficult to read. Not because of the writing, or the excellent translation. Instead, it is difficult because the character of Shiori is consistently abused and taken advantage of on every page. At times I felt guilty for continuing to read about her misfortune and doing nothing to stop it. I wanted to reach through the page and stop the people who hurt Shiori, and try to warn her before she gets into another bad situation. These visceral emotions only speak to the excellent characters that Kazushige Abe has written. At the 65% mark, this book takes an explosive turn that I would have never expected. I won’t talk too much about it, but it turned this into a fantastic story that made Shiori’s pain mean something. 

Overall, reading Mysterious Setting was emotionally impactful and exhilarating. I highly recommend this book.