Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

199 reviews

cara_selene's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? Yes

3.75

 

Absolutely incredible. This novel is going to stay with me for a while. I was afraid of jumping into this one after seeing content warnings and other people's reactions, it was a hard read for sure, but absolutely worth it.

"I wasn't crying because I was sad. I guess I was crying because we had nowhere else to go, no choice but to go on living in this world. Crying because we had no other world to choose, and crying at everything before us, everything around us."

The only reason it's not rated higher is because I was incredibly aggravated by Momose's arguments in the philosophical argument they have about why he bullies. I get the nihilism in his monologue, but it was just a whole lot of nonsense to me.

Read for WIT Month (Women in Translation), Aug 2023

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Violence

Moderate: Eating disorder and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Death

eqtan'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
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Ableism

Minor: Eating disorder and Mental illness

sapphotoni's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Bullying, Physical abuse, and Suicide

lenin_lover_69's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Eating disorder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

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

emiliatyra's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Physical abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Eating disorder

paradicsomleves's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Physical abuse

tarnya_smith's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

This is not the kind of book I thought it was going to be. It was a lot darker and violent than I first thought. We follow too extremely bullied students and their bond over being the outcasts who are trying to find meaning in their unfair targeting. This pushes them to even further extremes as they seek comfort in one another.

I enjoyed this book in as much as I'm intrigued with translated fiction and the themes of bullying in Japanese school seem extreme but there are many things I didn't enjoy in this book in regards to the unnecessary jerking off scenes and unsatisfying ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, Bullying, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Violence, and Mental illness

plumdustsuns's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

It took me very long to get back to this book after the scene in the gymnasium as it was just really hard for me to get through. 
Upon return a year later, I had almost forgotten what I had read before. I wish it was a constant experience instead. 

However, I was rather disappointed by Kojima’s ending. She didn’t get as much of a ‘retribution’ or ‘fixing’ as Eyes. And the ‘I never saw her after that’ felt very… flat, albeit shocking. I required more explanation.

 
It was really beautiful in parts and I appreciate Kawakami’s ability to weave complex character dynamics within seemingly “simple” settings. But I think the layers of complexity may have been complemented by more elaboration and plot than just all the brutality at times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

mariavdl's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness