Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

18 reviews

atomicsushi's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Misogyny, Abandonment, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child abuse, Suicide, and Cancer

caroisreading's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

4.0

Mieko Kawakami is becoming one of my favorite, most relatable authors. I read "All The Lovers In The Night" before this, and fell in love with her storytelling and main character. "Breast and Eggs" follows a similar formula of a lost and lonely woman, trying to find meaning. 

This is divided in two parts. Book One was my favorite by far, and as a standalone work, pretty much perfect, a 5.0. I cried at the beauty of her descriptions of the older sister's simple and sweet devotion to her little sister, as well as the strained relationship with her teen daughter. 

Book Two is primarily focused on the younger sister, and I had trouble getting through its density -- beautiful writing, though overwhelmingly verbose. The prose doesn't have the back and forth dynamic that Book One does, switching from the teen's journal entries to the narrator's POV. Maybe that switch made Book Two feel more plain. Still very meaningful.

As a whole, this book delivers on what it means to be a woman in this world, the pressures and injustices, sexuality, the obsession with fertility, youth and appearances. The female characters sort through these themes in a heartbreaking, yet brave and honest way. I loved them, related wholeheartedly with them, and rooted for them.

You'll like this if you're interested in female perspectives, solitary main characters, thoughtful and intelligent writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Cancer, Pedophilia, Rape, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Infertility, Death, Death of parent, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Suicide, Incest, and Misogyny

kurumipanda's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Infertility, and Cancer

Minor: Sexual content, Child abuse, Murder, Acephobia/Arophobia, Suicide, Rape, Pedophilia, Medical content, Body horror, and Body shaming

mauatuafr's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Suicide, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Physical abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Classism, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Rape

hollieadaw's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

thebookwasbetter_22's review

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Pedophilia, Vomit, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Suicide, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Bullying, Rape, and Suicide attempt

unboxedjack's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Suicide, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Sexism, Child abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Rape, and Suicide attempt

rachelsuzuko's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Rape

Minor: Suicide

liv_txt's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Mental illness, Death, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Rape, Car accident, Cancer, Alcohol, and Abandonment

lugalante's review against another edition

inspiring reflective 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

4.5

A meditation on womanhood. Strong women finding meaning in the face of the patriarchy in all sorts of ways.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Rape, and Suicide