Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Heaven

Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

708 reviews

earthtoavs's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective 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

5.0

Content Warnings

jovanas_cloud's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.0

It was underwhelming and anticlimactic.

I feel Kojima is the biggest contributor to the things I didn't like in the book. Her philosophy of Heaven, her philosophy on why they're being bullied, her reasons for being dirty, etc. To explain further, I don't understand what she wanted to say with renaming the painting because the actual name felt underwhelming. Her philosophy that they're being bullied because they're allowing it, is true to some extent because they never tried to fight back (which was easier for her to fix). The reason for being dirty, would be a great topic if she got some kind of help.

I understand she misses her dad but not performing basic hygiene like showering, washing clothes or just not being dirty in general because she's trying to be closer to her dad who is dirt poor and away working hard, IS A HUGE PROBLEM. It is such a serious problem that she even starts starving herself by the end of the book. I just refuse to believe that her mom didn't intervene in all like she must've smelled her at one point.

Another nonsensical thing I would like to bring up is the nihilistic conversation between the MC and Momose. First of all, not only is so dumb but the big words and theories these 14 year olds are using just seems very unlikely to happen. Like yeah it makes sense that a bully doesn't see why it's wrong to bully others but to have such big philosophy and so many points??

The culmination - I was just waiting for something big and dramatic to happen, it was always so close until it happened and the consequences were anticlimactic.

All that happened at the Whale park with Ninomiya bullying them to strip and have sex, and after that Kojima never interacts with the MC again because he wants to get surgery for his eye?? Again she is clinging to the past and to what's comforting to her even if it makes her and other's miserable. She's disappointed because he's doing something to have an easier and more comfortable life when she could do the same more easily and cheaply too.

The last chapter was really underwhelming. I was hoping to get some more results with what happened at school, with Kojima, Ninomiya, and Momose, but got nothing of that sort. Just MC moving forward with his new sight.

I love bullying and trauma bonding works Kawakami somehow managed to get nothing done. The friendship felt rather shallow most of the time, except the gym scene

where they were wiping MC's blood after he got kicked so hard in the head multiple times because he was a ball.

If only Kawakami went deeper and harder, this would've been much better.

Content Warnings

noella19's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-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

4.0

Unnerving, necessary and very beautiful.

Mieko really is something special

Content Warnings

serinas's review against another edition

Go to review page

slow-paced

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

3.0

I saw great praise and reviews about Mieko Kawakami's other books, and wanted to read a book of her because of that. I settled on Heaven because of the plot, and it seemed like a short read I could read in one sitting.

Heaven definitely tackles heavy themes that are important to write about, and it was part of the reason why I chose Heaven. I'd recommend to check the TW if you are sensitive to some topics regarding bullying, violence and suicide.

The review
I rated it 3 stars. This was honestly a hard book to rate, as I didn't enjoy it. I don't know if the meaning got lost in the translation, or if I just missed the memo.

I couldn't connect with the characters at all, and I didn't really connect with the way the story was told. I didn't find Heaven that meaningful and deep? Many of the observations and things the MC did was surface level, even when he confronted the bullies. There are definitely allegories, metaphors, and a poetic touch to the writing style, but I still found it very basic. That might just be me, as I had high expectations - and that might be why this was a miss for me.

I always expected the tide to turn, but it never did. Nothing changed throughout the book, not until the end. I'm just left disappointed, which is a shame, as I was super excited about reading Heaven.
The tension that was in the beginning supsided pretty quickly, but I still held on to hope that it might get good again. It didn't, in my opinion. At some point it got weird, the

conversation with Momose is a great example. The MC is 14, and the whole conversation seems very unrealistic - the content of the conversation, the way they speak, and the philosophy they share.

The trauma bond was something I thought would be explored in more depth as well, as there was much potential there. This bond had an abrupt ending, and it made sense story-wise, but much of the plot and character development was lost when

the MC had the conversation about the eye surgery with Kojima

(in my opinion).

The ending was fitting, as I interpreted it as

a new beginning for the MC where he finally can see the beauty in the world

. Still, I wasn't really a huge fan of Heaven unfortunatly.

Content Warnings

slimfolly's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.5

A surprisingly engaging story. I wouldn't say that I'd be interested in a story about a teenager, but I was tempted because of the author. A very sad and helpless story that forces you to feel uncomfortable. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to read it.

Content Warnings