Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

227 reviews

szarygolab's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Violence, Blood, and Bullying

Moderate: Sexual harassment

suzablam's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

Not yet sure what this book wants to tell me, but beautifully written (especially the environments, painfully raw & honest

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Self harm, Bullying, and Suicidal thoughts

markovskaiskra's review

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Bullying

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

hooliagoolia197's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Blood

cepbreed's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I am so disgusted. I’ve never read such visceral descriptions of bullying, and to that degree, before. I don’t know if this is just my perspective as an American but that can’t be common right? If I knew any Japanese people I would ask. I can’t pretend I fully remember everything that took place because I started this so long ago and only finished reading because I got on a plane with no other books downloaded. But I really see the appeal of Kawakami. UGH I wish I could read and comprehend everything in its original form. I bet there’s so much culturel context and language subtleties I’m not able to pick up on. This was my first foray into Japanese literature and I’ll definitely take other recommendations more seriously from now on. 

The true goat was the mom. I was so surprised to see a figure of authority actually be helpful. That was a masterful tonal shift for sure. 

I fear whenever I don’t know how to feel I just rate the book a 3.5. It’s an ambiguous sort of like that I can’t put my finger on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Ableism, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Physical abuse

llorona's review

dark emotional hopeful 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

4.5

I would describe this as beautifully raw, painful, dark and melancholy. 

Mieko Kawakami’s writing style is simply art. I greatly enjoyed the book despite it truly breaking my heart. I loved this book so much and the absolute tenderness in which the characters are written to life as complex, flawed beings with often conflicting, selfish, broken, HUMAN ideas and identities. It’s incredibly sad and raw and a surprisingly short read. I felt super reflective after reading this book. A great view into a perspective I had never considered. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Physical abuse, Bullying, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

plumblossom_'s review

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Physical abuse, Cursing, Eating disorder, and Body shaming

fairytomie's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-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

4.25

This book truly ripped my heart out. This is my introduction to Kawakami’s work and i’m in love with how poetic her writing is. 

Justice for these characters and the fact we don’t know what happened to Kojima is so heart-wrenching.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Bullying, Ableism, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Self harm

Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, and Death

miafromorchardstreet's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

This shattered my heart into a million pieces and put it back together again with a new kind of beauty. Mieko you’re a different sort of genius.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Eating disorder