Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

27 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

cheyennedowls's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Grief, and Suicide

caroisreading's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

This is a triggering story. It's unrelenting in its descriptions of bullying. As with all her novels, Mieko Kawakami writes so beautifully about tragedy and loneliness, and our humanity that's so capable of both destruction and healing. This is her most depressing pair of characters yet, two brave outcasts, not yet high schoolers.

Our narrator is a young boy who has a lazy eye, the victim of intense bullying and physical violence from the popular students. His fellow student Kojima reaches out to him one day through a letter, and she is revealed to be a similar victim of bullying, and is described to be unkempt and unwashed. Their friendship grows through sweet and simple letters, and soon conversations outside of school. In contrast, we experience their helplessness, as they are shells of themselves at school, bracing for the beatings each day. 

There is a conversation with one of the bullies, who proves to be a complete nihilist. He symbolizes the cold, emotionless, male antagonist who's all too familiar in our lives. It's every man for himself. Empathy is weakness. Kill or be killed. 

I can't praise enough Mieko's artistry, and her way of pulling us through emotions, and the confusion her characters feel. She is THE master of  female characters, as always. I especially loved Kojima and her strength, her frailty, her intelligence, her heart. I wanted to save her, though she was saving herself.

You'll appreciate this book if you like dark, intricate writing and characters, coming-of-age stories, and have been in an isolated period of your life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Blood, Child abuse, Gore, Bullying, and Body shaming

Moderate: Suicide, Torture, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence

breeamccarver's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Grief, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

firuz's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Bullying, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Eating disorder

literarylatte's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Bullying, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Eating disorder

psyashvv_'s review

dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, Bullying, and Sexual content

Minor: Eating disorder

amymcphrsn'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? It's complicated

3.5

I found it a really difficult read. Though I wasn’t personally affected by bullying at school the passages detailing the bullying and physical violence were really upsetting for me, I’d been reading it on and off for months for this reason. I’m glad I’ve read it, but it will be a long time if ever before I pick it up again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Ableism, Blood, Bullying, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

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.

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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

caeri's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual harassment, and Gore