Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - かがみの孤城

My first thought upon finishing was wondering how soon I should reread or watch the movie! This was such a lovely tale. I enjoyed the mix of tackling realistic issues with more fantasy elements. The cast is wonderful, and it’s great that not only do we get to see development for all of them, but there is care taken to establish other relationships between them & not just with the main character. While the primary plot twist is predictable, I didn’t see some of the others coming which left me pleasantly surprised. While it’s an emotional read, I definitely recommend it for a heartwarming story about friendships.

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letterlight's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring 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

I love everything about this book… the plot, the characters, the twists oh my god….. everything is just *chef’s kiss* segala emosi bener-bener campur aduk dari seneng, sedih, kesal, marah diaduk rata udah kek adonan kue

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andreapap15's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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

3.5

I so wish the last 3rd's atmosphere and pacing were that of the whole book instead... Some of the translation felt clunky and awkward, but the cast of characters make up a heartwarming, wholesome fairytale about mental health, bullying, and the various others struggles of adolescence.

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bealmg's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

A heartbreaking story about the consequences of bullying, anxiety and trauma on young teens in Japan, a country where children and teens rank really low on mental health surveys. It serves as a cautionary tale in a way, but it also delivers a message of hope.
Although I struggled for tha majority of the book, the ending came together in a really satisfying way, with all the pieces of the puzzle joining each other neatly. However, the first 2/3 of the book were almost painfully slow and a bit repetitive. And although the clues eventually made sense, most of the time I felt a bit clueless as to where the story was going. I did like the growth each character went through as well as the way their relationships grew over time. But I was expecting, maybe due to the blurb or to the glowing reviews, a story with more fantastical elements, even if grounded in reality as this was.
The ending was beautifully written, so sad and heart-warming at the same time, and it was worth the wait, even if I struggled to get there.

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sophiejohn's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

This book was a long-awaited 5 star read to round out the year. The first 2 parts of the book were good and kept my attention, but the last part (part 3, closure, and epilogue) is where everything came together in a really beautiful way.

the way that Tsujimura plays with time in this story is expert and emotional and made for a completely original story. the timelines fit together like puzzle pieces, or a hug between the oldest of friends. single tear for the end of closure and on.

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