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jenna_reads27's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jr2234's review against another edition
4.0
This was an ambitious novel that combined literary fiction, philosophy, Buddhist ideology, and magical realism in one wild ride of a package. I liked it overall and gravitated toward Nao’s point of view over the point of view of Ruth. The author does a great job of capturing scenic details and I felt transported to place. The stories themselves were vivid and will stick with me. I do wonder if there were a bit too many disconnected goals of this novel? The ending felt rushed and haphazard and not in line with the pace the rest of the novel sought to create.
christalnoel's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
habibbity's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was meant to be a buddy read with a friend. Unfortunately for my friend (a bum) she lagged behind. Fortunately for me, I got to discover this book through her recommendation. In the same way that Nao’s story washed up into Ruth’s hands, I feel like this story entered my life at the most appropriate, and dare I say, necessary, time. This will be one of my most treasured reads and I am certain anyone who chooses to read this book will feel the same.
atran122's review against another edition
4.5
I love the structure of this book, switching between Nao's diary and Ruth reading said diary, and I also loved the writing style, switching between Nao's more spunky yet philosophical thoughts and Ruth's more reflective, lost life.
You get just as invested in Nao's story as Ruth does, and it's the kind of story that leaves you thinking.
You get just as invested in Nao's story as Ruth does, and it's the kind of story that leaves you thinking.
kaakison's review against another edition
5.0
This book sucked me in, handled heavy topics with poise, and left me searching for everything Ruth Ozeki has published.
j_tracksbooks's review against another edition
The only reason I abandoned the book was the writing. I couldn't deal with the random insertion of Japanese words that have a perfectly fine, easy English equivalent. I know that the author was probably trying to create the sense of language interference, but this barely ever works in books. If the translations/explanations were at least placed as a footnote on the same page it would probably be readable, but at least in my edition the footnotes were all at the back of the book. In general, I think it's better to save the language interference part for terms that can actually be hard to remember/translate between languages.
Also, I really didn't enjoy the teenage MCs narrative voice. I think it could work for someone else, since she isn't supposed to be immediately likeable.
Also, I really didn't enjoy the teenage MCs narrative voice. I think it could work for someone else, since she isn't supposed to be immediately likeable.
sherrybomb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Not as gripping as My Year of Meats. The story ambles and the ending is a bit to clean. Good but a bit forgettable.
eggjen's review against another edition
5.0
This was one of those books that makes you think and then makes you think harder and then makes you think that maybe you don't know very much after all. It's a sort of story within a story within a story that seems to be constantly changing the rules and making you question what you thought you understood. Basically, it's brilliant.