Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

14 reviews

scirocco_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, and Rape

recorderkfk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Stretch book/ growth edge book for me - but a different mode of storytelling - 2 narratives 1) first person Japanese teenager who grew up in California. 2) third person limited omnipresent narrator of Ruth an author who lives with her husband on an island off of Washington. 

The book grows on you the more you read of it!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Violence, War, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Suicide, Xenophobia, and Sexual content

Minor: Self harm, Stalking, Death of parent, Grief, and Miscarriage

hannaemilia's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Rape, War, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

Minor: Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Dementia

audreytallulah's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Death, Animal cruelty, War, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore

Minor: Suicide, Sexism, Miscarriage, Fatphobia, Dementia, Body horror, and Animal cruelty

leweylibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious 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

5.0

This was such a good book to read during our trip to Japan! There were so many small elements about modern Japanese culture in this book that came up or I noticed in person during our trip, like the maid cafes, family marts, and vending machines. 

The narrator was the author, and she did such an amazing job with these dual narrators in the story, especially considering one was a child/teenager. 

The book was also great enough to me that I know need a physical copy so I can reread it in the future and make better notes of the parts that really hit me hard--and there's a lot of them. Nao and Ruth's characters are great, especially together even though they never technically meet (I love the ending by the way). Ozeki flawlessly weaved these stories together even though they never officially crossed paths. I also loved Nao's father and their relationship and his struggles. I know mental health isn't something that community talks about much at all, so I think it's amazing that this book does talk about it, even if it is painful to read. I love the way this book talks about time and life and what we choose to do with the two. Now I really want to read Nao's book about her grandmother! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Suicide, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Rape

autumnreads23's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Xenophobia, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

penofpossibilities's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Torture, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, and Hate crime

Moderate: Death of parent and Alcohol

Minor: Terminal illness, Cancer, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, and Genocide

toffishay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a story of Ruth in Canada and Nao in Japan telling the story of their lives, their trials and the personal horrors that they face, and how they find a way through with the people around them. I really don't know how to feel, but I was really engaged by this reading experience. It was an interesting exploration of time and identity, who we are in the grand scheme of things. I really connected with Nao and her relationship with Jiko was so beautiful. I liked the deconstruction of a story. Like it's such a meta experience and what we bring to a story as readers. What we read and what we get out of a book says as much about the reader as it does about the writer as it does about the characters in the story themselves. We all make each other. This isn't coherent lol!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Classism, Grief, Abandonment, Misogyny, Death, Pedophilia, Trafficking, Rape, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Vomit, Deportation, and Fatphobia

ka_cam's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

I came across this book as part of Multnomah County's Everybody Reads event and what a great choice! I often like books that involve a light dose of magical realism, historical fiction, existential angst, quantum entanglement, general moodyness, and people connecting across time and space soooo it was kind of up my alley. I felt like the end petered out a bit and sometimes things were a bit on the nose, but all in all really enjoyed!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Rape, Death, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, and Bullying

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, War, Torture, Violence, Suicide, Xenophobia, Grief, and Dementia

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Genocide, Cancer, Car accident, Colonisation, Deportation, Mass/school shootings, Chronic illness, and Classism

emsim's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, War, Torture, Bullying, Suicide attempt, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Pedophilia, Trafficking, Dementia, Alcohol, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Xenophobia