Reviews

Hit Parade of Tears by Izumi Suzuki

jess_jingsi's review

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

kyljk's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

urbino's review

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

anxiousonmain's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

juicebooks's review

dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

annamickreads's review

4.0

I picked up "Hit Parade of Tears" on a whim at the bookstore and I was pleasantly surprised to find the funny, lively, innovative tales of Izumi Suzuki. I'm so sad I wasn't aware of Suzuki's work far earlier, given her cult following and trailblazing path as a leading Japanese feminist sci-fi writer.

Despite following wildly different scenarios, Suzuki's signature flair throughout this collection is full of dark humor, thought-provoking plots and zany protagonists. The stories themselves are very stylized, often set with the backdrop of 1960s-70s Japan, but their female protagonists are frankly unforgettable, many of whom are teenage girls.

My favorite stories are "Trial Witch" and "The Covenant." I'll definitely pick up her earlier and even more critically acclaimed short story collection, "Terminal Boredom," very soon.

angela_iseli's review

dark fast-paced

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

3.5

unhingedreader's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

44lexi44's review

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.75

emiliahubbard's review

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5