Reviews

Soul Lanterns by Shaw Kuzki

kellsbelle's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-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? N/A

3.0

taura_hae88's review

emotional informative lighthearted tense fast-paced

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

4.75

mehsi's review

5.0

“Once the green and red paper lanterns were lit, it was almost as if they’d been given life, their glow was so otherworldly. They formed little groups as they flowed quietly down the river. Like souls departing on a journey.”

storiesatstarfall's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and War

Minor: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Violence, and Murder

deeisabibliophile_'s review

5.0

Ahhh! What a beautiful piece of writing it is! The innocence blends with the terrible emotions of war, as the lingering shadows keep on asking questions. What was their fault? Why were they never given a chance to embrace their loved ones one last time before they left? Why was Hiroshima just another nuclear disaster for the world that was soon forgotten, but for those who have lost their whole world with “that day of the flash” , the pain never ends, the hope never dies and silent murmurs of their loved ones speak to them at night when they arrange a memorial just to reminisce all those times when they were still there???

This book is a reflection of the past and leaves a strong message for the future. War has no justification. It is cruelty; a work of a few who decide the fate of millions. The snippets were so heart wrenching, I cried so much while thinking about the young Kenji, the gentle Sumi, the meek Satako, the ambitious Shenji and thousands of others who had absolutely no fault on that day, but had to pay a price so horrible for the acts of a few.

Indeed Kuzki has a way with words, her writing is flawless, gentle and equally solemn. You feel the images of darkness floating right before your eyes and much of the credit goes to Emily Balistrieri who has kept the soul of the original writing intact while translating this piece. Highly Recommended!!!!

alaa_ilikecats's review

emotional hopeful informative medium-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? No

4.5

In the beginning of reading this book, I honestly thought this would either be a dnf or a low star review 
I think it's because I probably wasn't in the mood in the beginning or maybe the book just won me over. 
It showed how much the impact of the nuclear bombs affected Japanese people by taking a few people (even if fictional) and then you realise how many people must have experienced similar stories and how devastating the impact was. Sometimes when we read x amount of people died we forget they're not just numbers but every number represented a whole person with dreams, fears and families 

hywar's review

4.0

This was an interesting look at the reality of life after the bombing of Hiroshima. The story is told from the point of view of students who were born after the bombing, and are interviewing those who went through it for an art project. We learn of teacher who lost his fiancée, parents who got into fights with their children only to never see them again, and the many who live with the unknown reality of what happened to their loved ones. This is obviously really deep subject matter, but I think it is a good starting point for many of my students who know very little about World War II and the aftermath of the atomic bombs.

lizaroo71's review

3.0

This follows three friends in Japan upon the twenty-fifth anniversary of the bomb being dropped on Hiroshima. Nozomi's family, along with her friends, take part in the tradition of releasing paper lanterns on the river in honor of those persons lost.

The students are then tasked with creating art pieces related to honoring the persons lost in Hiroshima. As they consider what to create, they ask those adults in their lives and in their community about what happened the day the bomb fell.

All in all, this is a great way to introduce young readers to the bombing of Hiroshima without graphic details. This work really highlights the long-lasting trauma those left behind suffer a generation later.

rdyourbookcase's review

3.0

I enjoyed Soul Lanterns, but it was a little disjointed at times. The perspective also shifted occasionally, and the story shifted between the mystery of the old woman, to the art project, and then back to the old woman.

winterbearr's review

emotional informative reflective sad tense

5.0