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girlglitch's review against another edition
3.0
The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida is an intriguing novel. I like the narrative style - Goenawan's understated prose and graceful flow makes for a soothing read.
However, sometimes that understatement also adds a sense of distance. I found it difficult to engage with the characters, and their lack of emotional depth made them seem two-dimensional.
At the end of the book, I felt I'd only just started to scratch the surface of Miwako Sumida's world - there was so much more that this novel could have unpacked.
*Thank you to ThePigeonhole.com for sharing this book!*
However, sometimes that understatement also adds a sense of distance. I found it difficult to engage with the characters, and their lack of emotional depth made them seem two-dimensional.
At the end of the book, I felt I'd only just started to scratch the surface of Miwako Sumida's world - there was so much more that this novel could have unpacked.
*Thank you to ThePigeonhole.com for sharing this book!*
doubleyou's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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
4.0
It was good, I enjoy her writing and would read more of her books
abibabibook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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? N/A
4.0
diiceacexx's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
the perfect world of miwako sumida tells a story about miwako, a 20-ish woman with a kinda quirky personality and a lot of mystery hidden in her, and her relationship with three other people—ryusei, a man who was interested in her; chie, her best friend since high school; and fumi, ryusei's older sister. the story starts with ryusei and miwako meeting through a group date, and they got closer until one day, miwako suddenly disappeared. around some times after, she was found dead because of suicide.
one thing that i learned from this book is how much we are loved even though we thought we weren't. from this story, we can clearly see how much love ryusei, chie and fumi have for miwako. how much her suicide affects them and makes them miserable. i especially love chie's pov, it felt very close to heart—the way she thought she knew everything about miwako, but because miwako never told her anything, she started wondering whether they were even friends. it hits very hard the way she always said, "we're best friends—at least i think so," something like that. it makes me muse about myself and those who are close to me.
i also love ryusei's pov. i think it's amazing how much he loves her despite barely knowing anything about her and how he has only known her for less than a year. i also love fumi's character. oh i also love the portrayal of miwako's (perhaps) depression. it wasn't talked that much since we never got to view miwako's pov aside from her letters, but the realistic and simple portrayal was very relatable.
well despite all that, i'm sad to say that there are still some aspects that bothers me. first of all is miwako's backstory, of you can say the climax(?) maybe, as it's the main goal of the characters—to find out what made miwako did what she did. i honestly think it was too dramatic. like, straight out of a melodrama, sinetron. i know it could probably happen to people, but i still think it was just very unappealing and a little unrealistic. i also think she's a bit bland. like maybe because we only see her from other people's perspective—and it's mostly through memories after she was dead. after reading some other reviews, i also have to agree that this book kinda lacks of 'feelings'. like instead of diving into how each characters feel after her death, the main focus is solely to discover why she did suicide. and despite having a troubled and traumatic past, we barely dive into miwako's psychological issues other than her killing herself and rejecting love. and the same goes with fumi, i still feel like her condition wasn't digged enough.
another thing i don't really like is the sudden drift to mystical or magic realism theme as we discovered fumi's 'curse'. i was literally like, whAt. why is it suddenly going that way. as much as i love reading about fumi's backstory as she's such an interesting character, it felt a little out of place.
well with all that being said, my final rating will be 4/5 ⭐!
one thing that i learned from this book is how much we are loved even though we thought we weren't. from this story, we can clearly see how much love ryusei, chie and fumi have for miwako. how much her suicide affects them and makes them miserable. i especially love chie's pov, it felt very close to heart—the way she thought she knew everything about miwako, but because miwako never told her anything, she started wondering whether they were even friends. it hits very hard the way she always said, "we're best friends—at least i think so," something like that. it makes me muse about myself and those who are close to me.
i also love ryusei's pov. i think it's amazing how much he loves her despite barely knowing anything about her and how he has only known her for less than a year. i also love fumi's character. oh i also love the portrayal of miwako's (perhaps) depression. it wasn't talked that much since we never got to view miwako's pov aside from her letters, but the realistic and simple portrayal was very relatable.
well despite all that, i'm sad to say that there are still some aspects that bothers me. first of all is miwako's backstory, of you can say the climax(?) maybe, as it's the main goal of the characters—to find out what made miwako did what she did. i honestly think it was too dramatic. like, straight out of a melodrama, sinetron. i know it could probably happen to people, but i still think it was just very unappealing and a little unrealistic. i also think she's a bit bland. like maybe because we only see her from other people's perspective—and it's mostly through memories after she was dead. after reading some other reviews, i also have to agree that this book kinda lacks of 'feelings'. like instead of diving into how each characters feel after her death, the main focus is solely to discover why she did suicide. and despite having a troubled and traumatic past, we barely dive into miwako's psychological issues other than her killing herself and rejecting love. and the same goes with fumi, i still feel like her condition wasn't digged enough.
another thing i don't really like is the sudden drift to mystical or magic realism theme as we discovered fumi's 'curse'. i was literally like, whAt. why is it suddenly going that way. as much as i love reading about fumi's backstory as she's such an interesting character, it felt a little out of place.
well with all that being said, my final rating will be 4/5 ⭐!
nicolekukral's review against another edition
5.0
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Some books stay with you long after you turn the last page, and this is one of those books for me.
Set mostly in Tokyo after Miwako Sumida, the titular character in this book, dies by suicide, we follow the stories of the three people closest to her. Each one has a story that brings us closer to understanding Miwako’s sudden, tragic, and unexpected death.
Told with complexity and sensitivity, this book takes readers on a journey that has several surprising twists in the last few pages. Amid the tragic story of Miwako’s death, the book leaves the characters in the book—as well as readers—with plenty of hope.
Some books stay with you long after you turn the last page, and this is one of those books for me.
Set mostly in Tokyo after Miwako Sumida, the titular character in this book, dies by suicide, we follow the stories of the three people closest to her. Each one has a story that brings us closer to understanding Miwako’s sudden, tragic, and unexpected death.
Told with complexity and sensitivity, this book takes readers on a journey that has several surprising twists in the last few pages. Amid the tragic story of Miwako’s death, the book leaves the characters in the book—as well as readers—with plenty of hope.
jadey24's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0