Reviews

Sparks would fly when they passed on the street. In fact, when the news forecast hazardously dry conditions, people in the neighborhood took turns making sure the two girls stayed away from each other, for they had once actually started a small fire in the stationary shop near the train station.

The town grew more and more run-down as time passed, but the housing development thrived. It seceded from Japan and formed its own armed forces, which sometimes held maneuvers in Tokyo Bay.

herringboneshoeshine's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated

3.25

wasuretta_'s review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing

4.25

humblebee20's review

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5.0

The first thing I read about this book was to take it slow and not read it in one go, despite its 120 page length. I'm really happy I took that advice to heart as this book is best enjoyed in small bursts. Each story is about 3-6 pages of a person or thing in the narrator's neighborhood. All of them seem self contained at first, but I was delighted when characters would return in other stories, giving the entire book a very interconnected feel, just like a real neighborhood that one would become aquainted with over time. Some stories are more coherent than others, but all of the stories have a sense of magical realism that makes them a treat read. The auto-biografical angle was a lovely touch that made me not want to leave. I do recommend not reading all of them in one day, these are definetely stories to savor.

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