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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
I will be scheduling appointments with anyone willing to listen to me lecture/yell at them about all the reasons why this is the best coming of age novel I've ever read!!!!!
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Recently I reread this book, now older and more mature and let me say it doesn’t hold up.
Story aside for one moment, there is about a 50 page exposition on Momoko’s life and it is boring. After that Ichigo comes in and then the story is exclusively dialogue with awkward cut ins from Momoko. Of course I can overlook it because Japanese literature is different from Western lit, but I think he was going for some sort of Anne Of Green Gables story of Tom Sawyer. Kid gets into trouble and plays around in their neighborhood.
It didn’t really work, because Momoko is a horrible human being.
You’ll find that Momoko is a stand in for Takemoto and lets be honest, Novalla Takemoto is a big elitist asshole and so is Momoko. There isn’t anything likable about her. She’s rude, patronizing, manipulative, elitist, oh— and she’s what we used to call in the Lolita community a “brandwhore.” Oh yes, she only wears Baby the Stars Shine Bright!
Can’t recommend this book. Momoko doesn’t change because Takemoto is dead set that his horrible view on people is right. No wonder the dude’s career came crashing down. This is supposed to be his magnum opus and it sucks.
If you want something that’s “lolita” then read Anne of Green Gables, A Little Princess or Emma. If you want Japanese Young Adult literature then read Battle Royale which does hold up many years on.
Story aside for one moment, there is about a 50 page exposition on Momoko’s life and it is boring. After that Ichigo comes in and then the story is exclusively dialogue with awkward cut ins from Momoko. Of course I can overlook it because Japanese literature is different from Western lit, but I think he was going for some sort of Anne Of Green Gables story of Tom Sawyer. Kid gets into trouble and plays around in their neighborhood.
It didn’t really work, because Momoko is a horrible human being.
You’ll find that Momoko is a stand in for Takemoto and lets be honest, Novalla Takemoto is a big elitist asshole and so is Momoko. There isn’t anything likable about her. She’s rude, patronizing, manipulative, elitist, oh— and she’s what we used to call in the Lolita community a “brandwhore.” Oh yes, she only wears Baby the Stars Shine Bright!
Can’t recommend this book. Momoko doesn’t change because Takemoto is dead set that his horrible view on people is right. No wonder the dude’s career came crashing down. This is supposed to be his magnum opus and it sucks.
If you want something that’s “lolita” then read Anne of Green Gables, A Little Princess or Emma. If you want Japanese Young Adult literature then read Battle Royale which does hold up many years on.
Big fan of the movie adaptation. Interesting to see some of its cultural bits explained/expanded on in this book, as well as to see where the two diverge. Glad that the movie and the novel both share some of the same craziness.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes