Reviews

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

jalensera's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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? Yes

3.25

einbean's review against another edition

dark sad fast-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

4.5

BEST kawakami book ive read yet!!! characters are more lovable and strikes a different chord than all the lovers in the night in a really good way that itches my brain just right. i think it was the sensitivity and soft naivete of the main characters but also i really hate *her* at the end... the way she was toying w him like a child w a toy... using him for her amusement and entertaining like an experiment was so cruel. she wrote this so well though - lots of dimension to the characters and the story itself doesnt fall so flat either. prose was much more beautiful and reflective than the last book of hers i read so it captured me so deeply. got me out of my reading slump!! so much to reflect and sit on after finishing... how did she give so much life to basically every character... i love this book but it makes me so sad

linneamo's review against another edition

2.0

not bad just really unhappy. I thought it might get better at the end but when I finished I was wondering why I put myself through this.

aoife_liofa's review against another edition

challenging

3.0

elisoamerican's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-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? It's complicated

1.0

the main character was boring, kojima was… extreme. and boring.

the only interesting thing in the whole book was the main character’s conversation with momose. and also the scene where they’re cornered in whale park.

the rest of the book was just soooooo fucking boring. but i suppose i just simply didn’t get it. sure, it’s fucking horrible and dark but idk it was told in the most boring ass way possible. and the masturbation scenes where fucking disgusting and unnecessary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

afarawayy's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

thrillerbingergirl's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.0

𝘌𝘭 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘢 𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘰 𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘢ñ𝘰𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘰. 𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘻 𝘥𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘰, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢, 𝘴𝘪𝘯 é𝘹𝘪𝘵𝘰, 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘰. 𝘓𝘢 ú𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘵á 𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰 𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢ñ𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘒𝘰𝘫𝘪𝘮𝘢, 𝘷í𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪é𝘯 𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘰 𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰.

Este libro explora la dinámica del acoso. Ambos lados víctima y perpetrador. Una provocativa conversación sobre el pensamiento humano respecto al bullying. A pesar de ser una obra de ficción es realmente profunda y llena de emociones humanas. Es realmente abrumador pensar que así podría ser la vida de muchos adolescentes.

yazmii's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Violence

drowninggirl's review against another edition

3.5

I have a hard time rating this, I feel conflicted. Very well written and I got into the story quickly. The topic is very heavy which is fine. The description is vivid -definitely too vivid for my taste sometimes, quite drastic even- I was feeling physically ill in certain scenes. Which then again speaks for how good the storytelling is, but there was something missing for me. 

jumanaslibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.0

I loved how vulnerable this book is,  but what I loved the most was the relationship between the main characters the bond they had was so well written and the dialogue between them was very interesting. I also have to appreciate the clash of philosophy between one of the bully’s and Kojima and the fact that this book has philosophy as a theme in general. my only problem would be how underwhelming the ending was.