Did 17-Sai existence have any input from the family or anyone involved in the case?
It took me like 6 months to read from Part 4 - the opening chapters of Part 8. I think you're the only person I know who didn't stop for a while after the end of Part 6.
I was too curious about the alternative universe to stop after Part 6, and after starting Part 7 I couldn't stop. It helped that Part 7 felt like a huge shift from the previous parts, so the "burn out" effect I had been feeling since Part 5 faded away.
If I had done a break it would had been at some point either during or after Part 5, that was the part that I really had to make an effort to go through, and I think my enjoyment of Part 6 was partly affected by that.
Ugh, maybe I'll start reading it again tomorrow and just power through Part 5. I heard Part 6 was very mixed too though, so I'm not sure how I'll like it.
Yeah, I have some mixed feelings about Part 6 myself, but I think it's overall a solid part that's still worth reading, it has a good protagonist and some really imaginative battles, particularly towards the end.
And then you'll have Part 7 ahead of you!