Scan barcode
miladimelow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Vomit, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Death, Adult/minor relationship, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, and Alcohol
Minor: Mass/school shootings, Kidnapping, and Stalking
marialuna's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Bullying
annreadsabook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The main gist is that the current-day protagonist, an author living in Vancouver, BC, named Ruth happens upon set of personal effects that are washed up on the beach, including a diary and a set of old letters. Given that the diary is written by a teenaged girl named Nao from Japan, she is unsure how the items wound up in Canada, but suspects it may be debris from the recent Tลhoku tsunami. Ruth is quickly consumed by her intrigue (obsession?) with finding out more about Naoโs life and what happened to her, all while struggling to write a novel.
This book is a very heavy read, and examines questions of family, grief, depression, and isolation, and I wonder if my current headspace was part of the reason why I really clicked with this book. Nao as a narrator isnโt interested in sparing her readers from her own raw emotions, and I actually really appreciated that. While I have to say I was a bit more invested in Naoโs storyline (she felt a bit more interesting and fleshed-out as a character), I was interested in what Ozeki seems to be considering about what it means to be an author and engage with a character.
If youโre someone who likes a bit of surrealism and doesnโt mind a plot that meanders a bit, Iโd suggest you take a look into A Tale for the Time Being! I would also suggest looking at other spoiler-free reviews to get a better sense of whether this might be your cup of tea, because I definitely can see why this is a bit of a polarizing writing style.
Please also be sure to check content warnings for this book, as it deals with some heavy subjects.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, and Rape
babelfish98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Bullying
Minor: Pedophilia
bugcollector's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, and War
espeon's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia
Minor: War
ciaraw8787's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia
Minor: Death
scruffycat's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
thesunriseinside's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I enjoyed the first 150ish pages immensely, then absolutely nothing happened for 120 pages, then it all took a super dark turn, but in a way that made me want to not finish the book. & then the ending.. yeah. No.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Vomit
pigeonsjones's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Genocide, Torture, Rape, Physical abuse, and Pedophilia
Minor: Blood, Grief, and Animal death