Scan barcode
courto875's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Animal death and Grief
lenkusia's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
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? It's complicated
3.75
lighthearted writing with sad & heavy plot was an unexpected mix and i did not like it at first but i think i’ve come to appreciate it more by the end. also some interesting philosophical things were said! overall interesting. i enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Death
luananki's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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
3.75
i was skeptical going into the book because the last book i read translated from japanese didn’t resonate with me as much because of the writing but i believe in this one i actually enjoyed it, it fit the story somehow.
i liked the complex thoughts regarding death and accepting you are going to die and even though, i’m not a religious person myself, i found the devil as character and symbol perfect for this story. i honestly don’t have more thoughts about the book, it’s a story i might actually think about for a little while but it didn’t feel too heavy and was simple enough to read it one day
i liked the complex thoughts regarding death and accepting you are going to die and even though, i’m not a religious person myself, i found the devil as character and symbol perfect for this story. i honestly don’t have more thoughts about the book, it’s a story i might actually think about for a little while but it didn’t feel too heavy and was simple enough to read it one day
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, Terminal illness, and Animal death
hayleyvem's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Death of parent
Moderate: Medical content
clairvoyant11's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Terminal illness, Cancer, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Animal death
danielletute's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Terminal illness and Cancer
robotswithpersonality's review against another edition
sad
I'm going to assume that much was lost in translation from the original Japanese. The retelling in letter form also distanced me from the narrative, to the point where most of the novella left me cold. If it was a short story focused on just the importance of cats to this young man's life, I think it would have had more emotional impact, but I felt like I was reading a lot of subpar filler, platitudes and cliches, around that core truth.
Effort was made to tug at the heart strings regarding the protagonist's relationship with each of his parents and ex-girlfriend, but I don't think enough space/background was provided to be truly invested in the outcome of those relationships.
On to the annoying:
∆Dragging out illness or death scenes is a cheap trick to try and elicit emotional response from the reader, especially when the writing is not good enough to feel anything but poorly manipulated.
∆Proclaiming that 'only humans love' is bound to irk your vegan readership.
⚠️Death, terminal illness, animal death
Effort was made to tug at the heart strings regarding the protagonist's relationship with each of his parents and ex-girlfriend, but I don't think enough space/background was provided to be truly invested in the outcome of those relationships.
On to the annoying:
∆Dragging out illness or death scenes is a cheap trick to try and elicit emotional response from the reader, especially when the writing is not good enough to feel anything but poorly manipulated.
∆Proclaiming that 'only humans love' is bound to irk your vegan readership.
⚠️Death, terminal illness, animal death
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness and Animal death
_andviolet's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Terminal illness
raypaws's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Animal death and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
andlivloves's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.75
I'm usually not one to read sad books, but this book manages to balance discussing the inevitability of death without being overly depressing. I even laughed a bit while reading. It's a quick read and the only reason why it's a 4.75 instead of a 5 is because the plot is predictable. Rather than thinking "What happens next?", I often thought "How will he write this part next?". Despite that, it was still a good read for someone who wants something more reflective without fighting your feelings at every page.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Death