Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

25 reviews

luciebonk's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Classism

pickledponyo's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.25

it’s a very raw and beautifully written story about bullying that shows how weak and how isolated it can make people feel. loved it so so much, wished there was more as it captured the feelings perfectly.

it also shows us the inevitable and slow deterioration of kojima and it felt so real. i do wish i could have known more of her ending.

beware though… there is like two scenes of the main kid jerking off…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Classism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Blood, Sexual violence, Violence, Mental illness, Self harm, and Torture

alexandrabelze's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.0

i really wish i liked this one more than i did :( i do plan on reading the rest of kawakami’s works, but this one didn’t stand out that much. the middle of the book was hard for me to get through bc of the broken nose, but that’s just bc i’m too squeamish lmfao

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Classism, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Death and Eating disorder

o3ovin's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

The strength of this novel lies in its  character’s interpersonal relationships or lack thereof. Humanity seeps through every page, even when the novel makes you question if that’s a good or bad thing.

This is an amazing quick read that manages the careful balance of asking questions about life, death, and morality while being told through the perspective of a child believably.  I would highly recommend checking the trigger warnings before picking it up as it does get incredibly heavy at some points. I will definitely be reading more by Mieko Kawakami.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death, Bullying, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Ableism, Cursing, and Medical content

Minor: Death of parent and Classism

fairygodfish's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

It’s a book about suffering and choosing. I liked it a lot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Sexual assault, Medical content, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Suicide

Minor: Vomit

lambclown's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Eating disorder, Suicide, and Classism

Minor: Vomit and Medical trauma

robinks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

Wow this book made me so uncomfortable. Heed the content warnings! There were some interesting philosophical questions brought up, and I like how Kawakami writes characters who are children. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Violence, Domestic abuse, Blood, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Death, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicide, Vomit, Body shaming, Medical content, and Classism

Minor: Child death, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent

madelinequinne's review

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? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Blood, Classism, Medical content, and Violence

yuyuv's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Eating disorder, Ableism, Grief, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Medical content, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Blood, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Violence, and Sexual assault

sofiadanielle's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.5

A challenging read to get through despite the novel’s short length. The content was heavy, and if you don’t like depictions of violence/harm (in the sense of physical bullying), you won’t like this book. 

I don’t think I quite grasped the deeper meaning to what Kawakami wrote, though my heart ached for the two main characters; more so, I felt myself angered by the kids around them and how they were treated. 

Between Kojima and Momose’s worldviews, I found myself.. A little torn? I don’t really entirely believe either one of them, nor do I know how I feel about their sentiments on a deeper level.
 
I wish I could say I enjoyed the book more, but aside from feeling challenged/sad/angered by the content, I feel that the book missed its mark with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Bullying, Classism, and Violence