Scan barcode
lattelibrarian's review
4.0
This was a haunting and beautiful book--it's also the first and only YA novel to open with a suicide, which still creates some controversy. Though at times disjointed, this tale is told both through Shizuko's perspectives as well as others. This may work in its favor, however, given the fact that Shizuko is currently grieving and herself feels disjointed.
It's poetic, at times eerie, and sometimes disconnected--making it work on both the levels of face-level reading as well as a more attentive reading. Shizuko is a compelling character, and even more so given that she's Japanese and abides to her own rules rather than the cultural norms. While others don't understand her, her rebellion is so small and yet so huge at the same time--which only goes to show how rebellion doesn't necessarily translate easily across cultures.
Overall, this book was satisfying and enriching. Shizuko's struggles are all too relatable, and offer both understanding and resistance. Definitely well worth the read.
Review cross-listed here!
It's poetic, at times eerie, and sometimes disconnected--making it work on both the levels of face-level reading as well as a more attentive reading. Shizuko is a compelling character, and even more so given that she's Japanese and abides to her own rules rather than the cultural norms. While others don't understand her, her rebellion is so small and yet so huge at the same time--which only goes to show how rebellion doesn't necessarily translate easily across cultures.
Overall, this book was satisfying and enriching. Shizuko's struggles are all too relatable, and offer both understanding and resistance. Definitely well worth the read.
Review cross-listed here!
victoria_08's review against another edition
3.75
I was very pleasantly surprised by this! I wasn't expecting much, but I loved it. The tone and cadence that the author wrote in was so lovely, it made me with this book was longer. Nothing remarkable happened in this but the writing and characters were so enjoyable to read about
rosiereads613's review against another edition
4.0
This book brought out so many emotions. I loved the different perspectives and moving of the timeline in the book as well as the fact that Yuki was able to find happiness.
celestihel's review against another edition
4.0
I'm really not sure how to review this book. Everything I write sounds trite. I loved it, and it's a wonderful story about families in the evolving cultural landscape of Japan. It's also about being an outsider, being a little different, in a world that doesn't seem to have a lot of room for that kind of thing, but it has more room than you would expect. It's a YA novel but it doesn't feel like one.
124smilehd's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's a sad story about a child living in the aftermath of her mother's death and her relation to family members and love itself. She grows from a child to an adult over the course of the book. It also explores how suicide affects those who are left behind, being a bit of an outcast and growing up with a less-than-ideal childhood in what was essentially neglect. There is a bit of a time skip between chapters, about a few months to a year at a time, so it can be a little jarring and can take multiple chapters to develop a single plot point that I had almost thought had been forgotten or left behind. In the edition I have it stated that many of these chapters were published in literary journals and other forms of publication as more stand-alone pieces before being made into a novel, which makes the formatting and pacing of the book make more sense. I would have rated the book higher if the chapters had flowed into each other in a smoother way but overall it is still a worthwhile read, especially for the interesting analysis of Japanese culture and the importance public image has on the character's decision-making.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Infidelity
odinblindeye's review against another edition
2.0
Old Children's Book. Liked it as a kid, but haven't read it in years.
alibrarycat721's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.75
patpatpotato's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
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? No
5.0
This book is relatable, coming from a girl who did not get a relationship with her mother. And that's all I will say. I read this over and over. It has helped me cope through my autism and therapy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
crowyhead's review against another edition
3.0
A YA novel about Yuki, a Japanese girl whose mother commits suicide when Yuki is twelve. The author does an excellent job of conveying Yuki's sense of difference from other children, as well as her confusion about what to feel towards her mother. I did feel frustrated in that Yuki's stepmother, Hanae, is pretty much unrelentingly meanspirited, and Yuki's father isn't much better. I suppose, however, that while in the third person, the novel is told predominantly from Yuki's point of view, so Hanae is likely to come across as a fairly unsympathetic character, anyway.