Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

34 reviews

hue's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Mieko Kawakami has such a unique way of writing. Her style and story telling grip tight on my heart strings, not letting go before the story has told its tale. I'm flabbergasted how she's woven this narrative around our main character Natsuko, and her many turmoils through most of her life. Through the side characters telling of their lives, and Natsuko reflecting upon their words, I kept having the realisation that every living being has such a vividly complicated life, no matter how pristine or untouched they seem to the outside eye. It should be obvious without it being shoved right into my face, but I guess it's different when you encounter someone through the eye's of another person, fictional or not. Kawakami makes me think Natsuko isn't as fictional as I first thought. To me her struggles seem very real.

I'm no longer surprised Breasts and Eggs became such  an international hit. I enjoyed it immensely, the ups and downs of Natsuko's life and all that wove into it. I'll be thinking about this one for ages upon ages, that I'm sure of.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Cancer, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

saskiahill's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

Richly written, the author's writing style really brings the scenes to life. There's lots of interesting themes explored including parenthood, womanhood, being single, birth, growing up and more, which are tackled well. The book doesn't follow a really clear plot with obvious start, middle and end, but it is told in a linear way and feels satisfying nonetheless. The characters are neither lovable or bad, they are very real and relatable. At times the pace dipped, or I didn't particularly relate to a section - but I think that's more to do with me being a 'mood reader' than about the book itself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Cancer, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Infertility

Moderate: Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Rape, Incest, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Terminal illness

oz2021's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Medical content

Moderate: Chronic illness and Infertility

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Terminal illness

pandorasirens's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Mental illness, Grief, and Misogyny

Moderate: Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Rape, Death, Infertility, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, and Cancer

Minor: Body shaming, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Classism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Pedophilia

avie_j's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy and Abandonment

Moderate: Cancer, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, and Domestic abuse

mia_a's review

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I have only recently found out that this book is actually two stories in one. First one about Natsuko's family- her working-class sister who researches breast augmentation thinking it would aid in her job, and her teenage daughter who refuses to speak to her mom for more than half a year, with Natsuko being there in the background, silently judging and remembering their harsh childhood. Second part is years later, when Natsuko is contemplating having a child, via sperm donor. Through this time, she has very different opinions on this- from her own sister saying that it is not a good idea, old friend saying how she doesn't have financial security to raise a child, to her newest friend who supports her in this decision. Even though it drags a little bit, it rounds up nicely at the end.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Rape, Pedophilia, and Terminal illness

coolguyclyde's review

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!!! EVERYONE SHOULD READ IT

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Terminal illness, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

unboxedjack's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Suicide, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Sexism, Child abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Rape, and Suicide attempt

liv_txt's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Mental illness, Death, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Rape, Car accident, Cancer, Alcohol, and Abandonment

edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

reflective 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? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Alcohol, and Infertility

Moderate: Cancer, Dysphoria, Pregnancy, Grief, Terminal illness, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Minor: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Eating disorder, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Rape, Violence, Medical content, Acephobia/Arophobia, Incest, Body shaming, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, and Death