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chazaiya's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
i remember i got this book in like christmas 2015/16 maybe? i read and got pretty far into it, over halfway. i was in the middle of thursday's chapter when i dropped it. got no clue why i stopped reading it, especially considering that i was enjoying it, i just did.
revisiting this was good though. no doubt a flawed book, it starts slow and oftentimes overuses exposition. on occasion it felt like it was a book written for middle schoolers with its diction but with the themes i know that wasn't its intention. i could chalk it up to poor translation but there's a part in the first chapter(?) where he explains the book of genesis and then some of the story of jesus like it was everyone's first time reading this, and it's like who was the target audience when this was being written? i guess it makes sense though considering christianity isn't as widespread in japan as in the west, but it just led to clunkier writing (which was an issue throughout the book, which i'm gonna say is due to translation). there's also just some corny moments here, like when two characters bid eachother farewell by reciting popular movie quotes? come on.
regardless, as the story went on and it got heavier into its themes, Kawamura's writing became more convicted and personal. naturally this led to me getting way more into the book. the final stages of the book are truly where the book is strongest, which is of course about where i stopped reading initially lol. i don't want to get into it rn but it gets heavy and incredibly sad. it's tied up nicely with a lovely message, and while some things are left up in the air i don't mind it like that.
all-in-all this was a nice sentimental book that you could probably finish in like a day if you wanted lmao. naturally not gonna be for everyone but i enjoyed it. good with a cup of tea and some melancholy ambient music, like ruins by grouper or some shit.
revisiting this was good though. no doubt a flawed book, it starts slow and oftentimes overuses exposition. on occasion it felt like it was a book written for middle schoolers with its diction but with the themes i know that wasn't its intention. i could chalk it up to poor translation but there's a part in the first chapter(?) where he explains the book of genesis and then some of the story of jesus like it was everyone's first time reading this, and it's like who was the target audience when this was being written? i guess it makes sense though considering christianity isn't as widespread in japan as in the west, but it just led to clunkier writing (which was an issue throughout the book, which i'm gonna say is due to translation). there's also just some corny moments here, like when two characters bid eachother farewell by reciting popular movie quotes? come on.
regardless, as the story went on and it got heavier into its themes, Kawamura's writing became more convicted and personal. naturally this led to me getting way more into the book. the final stages of the book are truly where the book is strongest, which is of course about where i stopped reading initially lol. i don't want to get into it rn but it gets heavy and incredibly sad. it's tied up nicely with a lovely message, and while some things are left up in the air i don't mind it like that.
all-in-all this was a nice sentimental book that you could probably finish in like a day if you wanted lmao. naturally not gonna be for everyone but i enjoyed it. good with a cup of tea and some melancholy ambient music, like ruins by grouper or some shit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
cereads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
3.0
This is a wonderful book and I can imagine it’s really nice to read when suffering with grief of one’s own
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Medical content
danielle2121's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
What a short, quirky and thought provoking little novel this was!
I didn’t expect to love it (and laugh at it!) as much as I did! The humour was on point, just enough of it in the right places to keep this kind of sad tale more lighthearted.
‘Cats don’t need us. It’s human beings who need cats.’ I feel like is the perfect quote to sum up this wonderful book.
I didn’t expect to love it (and laugh at it!) as much as I did! The humour was on point, just enough of it in the right places to keep this kind of sad tale more lighthearted.
‘Cats don’t need us. It’s human beings who need cats.’ I feel like is the perfect quote to sum up this wonderful book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
miyothecat's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Death of parent
aqtbenz's review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
annoyedhumanoid'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? Yes
2.25
the best parts were Aloha, and Cabbage talking. the philosophical musings were stupid, like "cell phones bad", "clocks bad"; and the plot was inane, especially in regards to his ex-girlfriend whose name i forget. like, he tells her that's he's literally going to die any day now but she waits a few days before giving him the letter his own late mother wrote to him on her deathbed . best friend, shouldn't you have been like, "oh you're dying? that reminds me, i have something of immense emotional significance to give you"? but no, his dire prognosis apparently isn't enough, she needs just an extra… je ne sais quoi 🤌 to prove he's really earned it.
there were some reflections that i liked though, like how the meaning of one's life is the difference between this universe and a parallel universe in which one never existed. maybe you haven't changed the world but your friends and family's lives would all be very different; you may be insignificant to the universe at large but you're important to so many individuals.
there were some reflections that i liked though, like how the meaning of one's life is the difference between this universe and a parallel universe in which one never existed. maybe you haven't changed the world but your friends and family's lives would all be very different; you may be insignificant to the universe at large but you're important to so many individuals.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content and Medical content
maren_hemsath's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Terminal illness
Moderate: Animal death
itsjustbethg's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Death
poisontree's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
so so sweet and sad
love love it
edit 18/02/22
this book is like the midnight library for sad girl loving, cat loving girls who listen to elliott smith and kimya dawson xxxx
love love it
edit 18/02/22
this book is like the midnight library for sad girl loving, cat loving girls who listen to elliott smith and kimya dawson xxxx
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Death of parent
cianarae's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death