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pich's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
though it took me a while to finish, i really enjoyed this book. i thought the writing worked well (even if the dialogue felt clunky at times), as well as the time skips. the overall story was, as the title suggests, bittersweet. once they started to mention the girl at the counter more often, i had a feeling it might’ve been ethel, and was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be true. i thought that was an interesting but nice impression, especially since henry was still in love with keiko, and she was someone who cared about his well-being. i thought the quote “He’d do what he always did, find the sweet among the bitter” was a great way to tie in the title into the book. the ending was very well written, along with the extra short story of keiko from the ‘40s.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death and Racial slurs
ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.25
I read quite a bit of historical fiction that has to do with WWII, but I realized that most of it focuses on the European front. This one gives you a look into the Japanese Internment camps that were set up in the western US.
I thought this was so sweet! It had a slow start that took me a while to grasp, but once you get to the Romeo and Juliet- esque relationship (without the terrible ending) it is so worth it. I always love when there are secondary characters that fill in the gaps in the main character’s life. Mrs. Beatty was an unassuming hero in this novel and I grew to love her and what she did for Henry. Sheldon was just *chef’s kiss*. I would definitely recommend this book!
I thought this was so sweet! It had a slow start that took me a while to grasp, but once you get to the Romeo and Juliet- esque relationship (without the terrible ending) it is so worth it. I always love when there are secondary characters that fill in the gaps in the main character’s life. Mrs. Beatty was an unassuming hero in this novel and I grew to love her and what she did for Henry. Sheldon was just *chef’s kiss*. I would definitely recommend this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, War, and Hate crime
Moderate: Grief, Violence, and Terminal illness
amcghig's review
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Death of parent, and Bullying
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