Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - A Tale for the Time Being

Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

51 reviews

alyssone's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

This was picked as our library’s Everybody Reads book for 2023, and I’m having trouble nailing down how I feel about it. Of the two protagonists, I far preferred Nao’s sections. Her voice was incredible. But what she is going through at her end of the story is horrific, and I found myself so mad at every single adult in her life who wasn’t doing anything to protect her. Things get a little metaphysical towards the end, and I wasn’t loving that, but then it came back around for me. Juki ans Haruki #1 made this book worth reading for me, but the parts of the story that I found upsetting were really upsetting.

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hanelisil's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Brilliant. I loved Jiko and Nao. I loved how time was twisted.

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annabelle42688's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.75

Very good, but very sad.

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cowboyariel's review against another edition

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informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

absolutely loved this book, i took my time reading it cause it’s a lot to mentally absorb especially considering it covers very serious topics that are hard to handle but it was worth it. i can see how it’s not for everyone since it gets pretty philosophical and is kinda slow paced, but it’s a beautiful story about contemplating human existence from various angles and coming of age as a teen/young adult. i’d also say it depicts issues in japanese society pretty realistically and by that i mean the ugly parts that people tend to not know about or gloss over lol

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savvyjo's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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ghoulette's review against another edition

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medium-paced

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

4.25

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emmaraeempowered's review

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challenging dark emotional sad

4.75

A Tale For The Time Being is a book that was very very challenging to read...but I am very glad that I did.

In this story Ruth finds a plastic bag that has washed up to the shore in the PNW and inside has a Hello Kitty lunchbox with the diary of a teenage girl. In the diary the girl, Nao proclaims that she plans to end her life, but first she is going to document the life of her great grandmother who is a Buddhist Nun and lived an incredible life.

Nao's writings got very difficult to read. She and her family had moved to California when she was very little then moved back to Japan when she was a teen. At her school in Japan she is being bullied at such extreme methods that using the word bullying doesn't feel right. This girl is being harassed, assaulted, and the horrors just continue. Even teachers participate in the mistreatment of her. Nao's father also keeps attempting to end his life and we get entries from her as she processes that.

From Ruth's perspective she is getting more and more concerned for Nao's life and if she is okay or if she really did end her life. As her concern grows the way these two characters stories are entangled is, incredible and heartbreaking I found. I can't imagine how I would handle finding a diary such as this.

Nao also documents what she learns about her great-uncle who was a kamikaze pilot in WWII, she looks up to him for his bravery and the fact that he was only a couple years older than her. She contemplates her own life and what she has or doesn't have to offer.

There is so much I want to say about this book but I feel as though I don't have the words. I wish I could paint my emotions here and you could look at it and go "Ah yes I totally understand- and feel- what you mean Emmarae".

If you are thinking of picking up this book please be mindful of content warnings. And get ready for a story that will suck you in, make you cry, and even question what reality really is. And where we all are in time.

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