Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - Heaven

"Heaven", is definitely a hard, brutal book. The bullying and the violence and the effects that they have on the protagonists, both physically and mentally are unbearable. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry and I wanted to be sick. The writing (and the translation) is captivating; I found my self putting the book on the side, not able to bear it any longer, only to start reading again after a few minutes...
I 've never experienced bullying in my personal life, not as a victim, not as a bystander, not as a perpetrator, so I kept wondering where were the adults? Teachers, parents, anyone. No body saw anything? Nobody understood anything? But then again, what do I know?
A last comment that I want to make is about the ending; at first I found it unfitting but as I let it sink in, I think it is exactly what the book needed.

Content Warnings

saphfics's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Is this a good book?: yes
Is it well written?: yes
Will I ever reread this: absolutely not

Read this when you are in a pretty okay to pretty good state because ot is really one of the heaviest books I have ever read

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katiaveer's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

this is a shot book. short but depressing. it's interesting to see their interaction, how friendship that's build on mutual misery works. i never experience or saw this kinda bullying before in my life and it feels painful to even know what they have to go through everyday. it's sad how cruel people could be. how they have not even the slightest empathy for other people. i keep hoping it got better for them but it just doesn't. after all most things really do not have a happy ending in real life.

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flucillie's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

the writing is absolutely beautiful and i’m excited to read more of kawakami’s work.

can’t give it a 5 star even if i enjoyed the writing style since it’s so heavy and i’m most likely never reading it again. also the ending was preachy imo

highly NOT recommend if u are in a bad headspace. read the trigger warnings beforehand kasi u might think kaya mo ihandle based sa first chapter pero bestie when i tell u it gets worse, it really does.

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hennamelender's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

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