Reviews

book reviewing
(crappy ramblings from the seat of my mandarin classroom as i halfheartedly pay attention to class and also this review which is all over the place and actually so enigmatic because i’m trying to be spoiler free but also it’s not working because this just doesn’t make sense)

small country town; parents that seem normal - with their average quirks, average occupations. daughter that’s quite well adjusted…? when immersed in the opening chapters, i anticipated a quaint, heartwarming story. one with discussions about seeds, ethics, life…

this book was so much more than this. it was a reminder of every parents’ humanity. it was a harsh callback to the divisive nature of politics and personal ideals that drives so much hate. i was unsure of the motifs initially - labels on furniture, ganbatte ne!, nulife seeds, but they all wrapped into the most bittersweet, heartbreaking moments.

this book was so much more than the story of a daughter returning to her dying parents; even though it’s just that at the essence. the pain of dying - realising this pain, realising that maybe she was loved in this little farm after all, trying to love again. forgiving, or maybe not. some people aren’t that good after all.

drawing the parallel between genetic modification and abortion. when seeds become your whole life and when your whole life runs away.

okay admittedly, this book was quite long (which is okay, but sometimes unnecessary), and it took me a while to read (the first half was not my favourite. only downside!). but it was very quoteable, in the artistic, word-crafting way. "she was not beautiful, but he didn't care. he wasn't beautiful either." "i might have laughed if i hadn't been crying" (said after the most heart-wrenching moment)

but the more i read into it, the more touching every page was. it resonates with me; the pain of fragmented parental relationships, but also the understanding that they’re still human. this was very real. i read this one scene on the bus, almost cried, and closed the book for a week. i didn’t want to move on because i wanted to savour the words on the page so bad.

andreahaz's review

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slow-paced

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

3.75

polyphonic_reads's review against another edition

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informative reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

ayuserious's review

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emotional funny informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

foraging_pages's review

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3.0

3.5 Stars! Read for my Rural Literature class.

booksmarty's review

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emotional inspiring reflective slow-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

4.0

I’ll read anything Ruth Ozeki writes! This was my least fav of hers by far but of course the ending had me tearing up a bit. Environmental literature mixed with some of her signature philosophy and religion

nastu's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

3.75

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