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sakisreads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
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? No
4.0
As a fan of Mieko Kawakami’s writing, I had a good inkling about this one and I was right 🥰
Being a novella and all, it didn’t encapsulate everything I wanted it to. But Ms. Ice Sandwich sounds like an icon 🥳
I love that they had a meeting and that he gave her his drawing of her 🥹
I also love him and Tutti’s friendship. Friendships can develop and be made over time!
4 out of 5 stars for me, thank you ✨
Being a novella and all, it didn’t encapsulate everything I wanted it to. But Ms. Ice Sandwich sounds like an icon 🥳
I also love him and Tutti’s friendship. Friendships can develop and be made over time!
4 out of 5 stars for me, thank you ✨
Graphic: Grief
axel_p's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.0
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, and Grief
saoreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I have mixed feelings about this book. At times, it delves into emotions, but sometimes it remains vague and elusive. It's a quick read, and I found comfort in its child-like tone while navigating the complexities of adulthood. However, I'm not entirely sure about its intended message.
Graphic: Grief and Death
linguaphile412's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Body shaming, Misogyny, Bullying, and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Gun violence
shrutislibrary's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.75
"Ms Ice Sandwich" by Mieko Kawakami is a tale told through the eyes of an unnamed young boy living somewhere in Japan & his infatuation with a whimsical looking young woman working at a sandwich stall in a supermarket - a girl with electric blue eyelids & a cool demeanour - a source of his endless summer fascination.
Removed from a present yet absent mother & a bedridden grandmother, the boy devotes himself to visit the sandwich stall every day over the summer. Every day he orders the same egg sandwich at the counter which he doesn't even like eating. All the while committing every detail of Ms Ice Sandwich's face to his memory, every edge & line ingrained in his mind's eye only later to be reproduced on paper. He is happy to go along in this way: observing from a distance, happily floating, existing, alone in this bubble of euphoria he has created for himself until one day the unexpected sharp pinprick of rumours about Ms Ice Sandwich punctures his cosy bubble & tilts the world over for him. Will he ever look at Ms Ice Sandwich the same way again? Or feel the same emotions she once ignited in him when he looked at her face every day while buying a sandwich?
It's heartwarming, yet disheartening, it's meandering yet full of spunk, it's hopelessly teenagery & yet dashed with gut punches of truths aimed at grown-ups. The world of Ms Ice Sandwich is the world of bold accented electric blues, the smouldering heat of asphalt roads in summer and staring dead-eyed at rude customers without a hint of fear of the "I'm gonna call the manager so quick on you" attitude.
This novella is so hard to write about because I am still trying to grasp, think & reach for words that would tie up the ending. This was a story of a life-changing summer, a summertime boy finds a sense of things that used to be & sees them through a new lens navigating the befuddled terrain of adolescence with an unlikely friend. Kawakami's sparse & flowy writing style authentically captures the anxieties, bubbling frustrations & anticipated nervousness of this young boy on the cusp of pre-teens. In the end, the boy, after dreaming of an escape with his princess on his back, wakes up from this dazed slumber of a lazy afternoon nap in summer and is gently nudged back to reality by Tutti's steady presence. The boy learns to appreciate the friendship he can have with Tutti rather than dwelling on what could've been with Ms Ice Sandwich (or never could've been).
Removed from a present yet absent mother & a bedridden grandmother, the boy devotes himself to visit the sandwich stall every day over the summer. Every day he orders the same egg sandwich at the counter which he doesn't even like eating. All the while committing every detail of Ms Ice Sandwich's face to his memory, every edge & line ingrained in his mind's eye only later to be reproduced on paper. He is happy to go along in this way: observing from a distance, happily floating, existing, alone in this bubble of euphoria he has created for himself until one day the unexpected sharp pinprick of rumours about Ms Ice Sandwich punctures his cosy bubble & tilts the world over for him. Will he ever look at Ms Ice Sandwich the same way again? Or feel the same emotions she once ignited in him when he looked at her face every day while buying a sandwich?
It's heartwarming, yet disheartening, it's meandering yet full of spunk, it's hopelessly teenagery & yet dashed with gut punches of truths aimed at grown-ups. The world of Ms Ice Sandwich is the world of bold accented electric blues, the smouldering heat of asphalt roads in summer and staring dead-eyed at rude customers without a hint of fear of the "I'm gonna call the manager so quick on you" attitude.
This novella is so hard to write about because I am still trying to grasp, think & reach for words that would tie up the ending. This was a story of a life-changing summer, a summertime boy finds a sense of things that used to be & sees them through a new lens navigating the befuddled terrain of adolescence with an unlikely friend. Kawakami's sparse & flowy writing style authentically captures the anxieties, bubbling frustrations & anticipated nervousness of this young boy on the cusp of pre-teens. In the end, the boy, after dreaming of an escape with his princess on his back, wakes up from this dazed slumber of a lazy afternoon nap in summer and is gently nudged back to reality by Tutti's steady presence. The boy learns to appreciate the friendship he can have with Tutti rather than dwelling on what could've been with Ms Ice Sandwich (or never could've been).
Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Deadnaming, and Cursing
Moderate: Grief
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