Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

364 reviews

jackienelson's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

p1nkpr1ncess's review against another edition

emotional reflective

I love Nao so much and her story was beautifully detailed but I was unfortunately a little underwhelmed with how it was all wrapped up in the end? I love books that go back and forth in perspective but I was just always waiting for Nao's parts.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content

spec_tacles's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.5

I know that I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time. The themes explored here are ones that I’m personally invested in, and it feels like the quintessential story about time. I do feel there could have been very slight improvements to Ruth’s sections and to the end to enhance my investment in her character, but they would be minor changes. Overall, I think this book is really something special. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, War, and Injury/Injury detail

ghilimei's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and War

kaydot's review

challenging dark funny inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Death of parent

Minor: Rape and War

tofudoom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and War

ruthcoolidge's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

The way everything weaves together in this book makes me so happy. It's about interconnectedness, coincidence, moments, peace, and curiosity. I will never understand it all and never get tired of rereading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

Minor: Dementia

bronteide's review against another edition

inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-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

3.75

Albeit I'm not really keen on Eastern philosophy/religion, I found this book really interesting. I loved both Nao's and Ruth's chapters, and Haruki's diary is a cherry on the top. I also really liked how the author explains the philosophical topics from the point of view of a teenage girl. This book also made me learn a lot more about the Japanese culture and about immigrants's struggles in Japanese society. Interestingly, reading about life in the rural Canada was just as captivating as reading about Japan, So, even though this book isn't completely my cup of tea, I still really appreciated it.

Jiko's lifestory is just so amazing! Being a feminist, burying a son, becoming a monk and managing to let go of all this grieve somehow, seeing the world as a good place! Such a role model.

Favourite quotes:

It made me sad when I caught myself pretending  that everybody out there in the cyberspace cared about what I thought, when really nobody gives a shit. And when I multiplied that sad feeling by all the millions of people in their lonely little rooms, furiously writing and posting to their lonely little pages  that nobody has time to read because they're all so busy writing and posting, it kind of broke my heart.

Patience was part of his nature, and he accepted his lot as a short-lived mammal, scurrying in and out amid the roots of the giants.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: War

caits_lh's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Bullying and Vomit

jessiedoodah's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Suicide attempt, and War

Minor: Alcoholism and Pedophilia