Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

12 reviews

stllyltc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

This is an odd book; as I see it, it brings out perspectives worth reflecting on, but I find it infuriating that no justice was done. Being seen as different should not be a reason to be treated awfully, simply because they wanted to? It was hypocritical at most and selfish at best. They stuck to their own definitions, but it's frustrating to read something that seems to offer insight but provides nothing at the same time.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Body horror, Confinement, Body shaming, Bullying, Torture, Vomit, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Medical content

roosmarleen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Blood, Vomit, Body shaming, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Excrement, Emotional abuse, and Confinement

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. 

---

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

---

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

ardour's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

i thought this was gonna be a 5 star read for most of the book, but then it got sad and i realised i’ve never been one to enjoy a sad book/film etc. Literally no fault of the book i still thought it was fantastic, I love books that are dark but not so much *sad*. I thought the writing was brilliant, especially how it was so flawlessly written in a teenager’s voice.

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Abandonment, Gore, Sexism, Grief, Mental illness, and Self harm

Minor: Medical content, Death, and Confinement

lizzardbeth99's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Ableism, Blood, Bullying, Eating disorder, Gore, Torture, and Violence

lotus440's review against another edition

fast-paced

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

gsher002's review against another edition

sad medium-paced

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

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Vomit, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Confinement, Eating disorder, Medical content, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Bullying, Child death, and Suicidal thoughts

lilacwhisker's review

emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Very sad and very reflective. I am definitely going to read her other books now!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Ableism, Bullying, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content

_inge's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.0

I knew this would be a tough read. I usually avoid books which feature bullying as it is, and I was warned of particularly vivid descriptions of bullying in this novel. I didn’t think it would be this vivid and this disturbing, however. I skimmed some passages because they were too much to handle. There’s a lot of trigger warnings for anything relating to bullying in this. 

I didn’t feel a connection to any of the main characters, as them being bullied was the center of this novel. Aside from Kojima’s interest in art and both of them enjoying reading fiction, we don’t actually see them do anything beyond being bullied or discussing what bullying has done to them. I don’t even think the protagonist is named, as everyone simply calls him ‘Eyes’ when he’s bullied. Bullying therefore takes over their entire personalities. 

This does mean there’s space for some really interesting conversations about what it means to be bullied or to bully. Some ideas on this really helped me shape my own feelings about having been bullied in the past.

I love that we got a conversation between one of the bullies and the protagonist as well. I’m not sure if I agree with the ‘happy’ ending; I wonder if the protagonist genuinely felt disturbed by his eye too and wanted it fixed because of that, or if his sole reasoning for wanting it fixed was being bullied for it.

I wish we’d learn more about Kojima too. Since the protagonist doesn’t see her again I hope she didn’t harm herself in any way. The ‘happy’ ending for him therefore didn’t feel as happy as a whole, as Kojima might be struggling.

 

All in all this was a difficult read. It’s definitely not for everyone, and I’m unsure what to think of this myself. It’ll be interesting to see if I think back on this in the future.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Torture, Bullying, Self harm, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, and Dysphoria