Reviews with content warning for Chronic illness - Pasta Kacang Merah

Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Pasta Kacang Merah by Durian Sukegawa

66 reviews

bubblybelle's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

4.5

‘the only way to get over barriers is to live in the spirit of already being over them.’

beautiful, heartbreaking, and thought provoking story

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el_viral's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

So beautiful and so heartbreaking. The book is almost in two halves - the first one a story of developing friendship and starting to open to new possibilities, the second about awakening to those possibilities, but also the feeling of loss. I cried my eyes out towards the end, I couldn't help it. A very emotional book, and one I highly recommend.

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gillthequill's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I was expecting a sweet, uplifting story about friendships blossoming over sweet bean paste. Instead, the biggest emotions I was left with was anger at injustices in the world, about needing to be "useful in society" and the struggle of trying to find meaning in life. Also, a deep hatred of the shop owner. This book went in a direction I wasn't expecting, one that focused on an aspect of life I never considered and the injustices that come with it. It dealt with prejudice, irrational fear, and how we so easily other people, along with cooking, slice of life and intergenerational friendships. Some people may be put off by this more serious, darker turn, despite the hope at the end of the tunnel. Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it, although I doubt I'll read it again.

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kalyaniwarrier's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

With a title like Sweet Bean Taste, you're bound to imagine a story based solely on confectionary and the ones who have a sweet tooth.

With a bitter-sweet ending, the novella focuses on the one's who are alienated in society due to their autoimmune disease; something completely out of one's control, and the prejudice of it all among people.

A refreshing plot with themes of alienation of marginalised groups, acceptance of life, and sympathy; a quick read for those who love Japanese translated literature.

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theliteraryteapot's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

I'm enjoying contemplative, maybe slow-living books these days. I can't say I loved the writing style though, at times there were redundancies perhaps due to a translation issue. But this story was exactly what I needed.

Check trigger warnings beforehand though as light-hearted as it is, it still deals with certain heavy topics.

Content Warnings