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daniellersalaz's review against another edition
4.0
A side of Japan you don’t usually see
This book was written from the point of view of a Zainichi Korean, or someone of Korean heritage born in Japan. This gave it a particular lens through which to tell its coming of age story. I enjoyed it. It’s a quick read.
This book was written from the point of view of a Zainichi Korean, or someone of Korean heritage born in Japan. This gave it a particular lens through which to tell its coming of age story. I enjoyed it. It’s a quick read.
laurazdavidson's review against another edition
3.0
Gritty coming of age story with a fascinating look at racism in Japan.
byronic_reader's review against another edition
4.0
Typical struggles of being a teenager in a different country and struggling to find their identity have been well portrayed in this book. The characters are written well and the plot was fast-paced as well. What struck with me in this book is the struggle to find an identity. There are too many emotions to feel and I was an emotional mess at the end of the book. Overall, I liked the book though I felt that the story was not that impactful as I expected. I recommend this to all YA fans
mxmlln's review against another edition
1.0
Story: 2.0 / 10
Characters: 6.5
Setting: 7.5
Prose: 3.5
Tags: Zainichi, Korea, Japan, foreigners, fighting, romance, identity, nationality
Characters: 6.5
Setting: 7.5
Prose: 3.5
Tags: Zainichi, Korea, Japan, foreigners, fighting, romance, identity, nationality
jenndanblake's review against another edition
3.0
Total teenage coming of age novel. Interesting look at Japanese prejudice and racism towards Koreans.
foxconfessor's review against another edition
4.0
This book jumped around a lot and I wish it was much longer, but I really enjoyed it. Favorite passage:
“I saw this show the other day about a retirement home for guide dogs in Hokkaido. It’s this place where old dogs that can’t do their job anymore can go to live out their last days. The fact that a place like that even existed moved me so much that I couldn’t take my eyes off the TV. And then they showed a woman saying goodbye to her guide dog. It was a blind woman and a male golden retriever couple, and she just held him in her arms completely still for a good hour until finally the staff had to pull them apart. As the car drove away from the retirement home, the woman leaned out of the window and waved, shouting, ‘See you,’ and ‘Bye-bye,’ and the dog’s name, but the dog just sat there and watched the car go. But that’s the way it had to be. It’s how guide dogs are trained. They aren’t allowed to show any excitement, and they aren’t allowed to bark. Even after the car was gone, the dog didn’t move an inch from where they said their goodbyes, and he kept looking in the direction the car disappeared. For hours. The woman who’d been by his side for ten years wasn’t there anymore. He must have been so devastated he couldn’t move. They said goodbye around noon, and in the evening it started to rain. Really hard. The dog that had been looking straight ahead until then looked up like he was watching the rain come down and started to howl. Waoon waoon. Like that—again and again. He didn’t look the least bit sad or pathetic. He bayed with his back stretched, and the line from his chest to his chin perfectly straight like a beautiful sculpture. I cried my eyes out. Waoon waoon. Just like that.”
“So what are you trying to say, Sakurai?” I asked.
“I’m trying to say that I want to love someone the way that dog did. His howl was more beautiful than any music I’ve ever heard. I want to be the kind of person that can love someone right and then cry the way that dog did if I lost someone."
“I saw this show the other day about a retirement home for guide dogs in Hokkaido. It’s this place where old dogs that can’t do their job anymore can go to live out their last days. The fact that a place like that even existed moved me so much that I couldn’t take my eyes off the TV. And then they showed a woman saying goodbye to her guide dog. It was a blind woman and a male golden retriever couple, and she just held him in her arms completely still for a good hour until finally the staff had to pull them apart. As the car drove away from the retirement home, the woman leaned out of the window and waved, shouting, ‘See you,’ and ‘Bye-bye,’ and the dog’s name, but the dog just sat there and watched the car go. But that’s the way it had to be. It’s how guide dogs are trained. They aren’t allowed to show any excitement, and they aren’t allowed to bark. Even after the car was gone, the dog didn’t move an inch from where they said their goodbyes, and he kept looking in the direction the car disappeared. For hours. The woman who’d been by his side for ten years wasn’t there anymore. He must have been so devastated he couldn’t move. They said goodbye around noon, and in the evening it started to rain. Really hard. The dog that had been looking straight ahead until then looked up like he was watching the rain come down and started to howl. Waoon waoon. Like that—again and again. He didn’t look the least bit sad or pathetic. He bayed with his back stretched, and the line from his chest to his chin perfectly straight like a beautiful sculpture. I cried my eyes out. Waoon waoon. Just like that.”
“So what are you trying to say, Sakurai?” I asked.
“I’m trying to say that I want to love someone the way that dog did. His howl was more beautiful than any music I’ve ever heard. I want to be the kind of person that can love someone right and then cry the way that dog did if I lost someone."
ori_gina_lity's review against another edition
3.0
It's a quick read but another fascinating glimpse at how Koreans have been mistreated in Japan. In this case from the perspective of a teenaged boy, lots of fighting and coming of age romance packed into a short space, had it been a little more informative I'd have been able to look past the overly done parts. But still really enjoyed!
ksiazkoty's review against another edition
Skończyłam, ale waham się nad oceną.
Książka z pewnością interesująca, chociaż nie do końca serwuje nam to - co mówi opis. Dostajemy po prostu coś o wiele głębszego… kosztem relacji.
Początek był średni: dużo powtórzeń, miałam wrażenie, że nasz bohater przez to, jak się wypowiada jest dużo młodszy niż w zamyśle miał być. Potem to jakoś wróciło na właściwe tory i samo moje zaciekawienie lekturą wzrosło.
Dużo tutaj o dyskryminacji rasowej, nietolerancji, niezrozumieniu i konflikcie między Japończykami a Koreańczykami. Atmosfera była gęsta. Autor raz na jakiś czas owe napięcie rozładowywał humorem, co właściwie dobrze „działało”.
Relacja romantyczna: zbyt szybka, chociaż może to pasuje do młodzieży? Ale miałam wrażenie, że totalnie zeszła na boczny tor, a właściwie jest niepotrzebna. Z pewnością to właśnie ten aspekt jest minusem tej książki. Reszta była całkiem przejmująca. W szczególności nie spodziewałam się tego co zdarzyło się na peronie… byłam w szoku i dalej trochę mi smutno.
Podsumowując: solidne YA, jednak usunęłabym z niego Sakurai, a całkowicie oddała się ukazaniem mniejszości i trudu życia w miejscu, gdzie „czystość krwi” jest najważniejsza, a uprzedzenia górują nad zdrowym rozsądkiem.
Książka z pewnością interesująca, chociaż nie do końca serwuje nam to - co mówi opis. Dostajemy po prostu coś o wiele głębszego… kosztem relacji.
Początek był średni: dużo powtórzeń, miałam wrażenie, że nasz bohater przez to, jak się wypowiada jest dużo młodszy niż w zamyśle miał być. Potem to jakoś wróciło na właściwe tory i samo moje zaciekawienie lekturą wzrosło.
Dużo tutaj o dyskryminacji rasowej, nietolerancji, niezrozumieniu i konflikcie między Japończykami a Koreańczykami. Atmosfera była gęsta. Autor raz na jakiś czas owe napięcie rozładowywał humorem, co właściwie dobrze „działało”.
Relacja romantyczna: zbyt szybka, chociaż może to pasuje do młodzieży? Ale miałam wrażenie, że totalnie zeszła na boczny tor, a właściwie jest niepotrzebna. Z pewnością to właśnie ten aspekt jest minusem tej książki. Reszta była całkiem przejmująca. W szczególności nie spodziewałam się tego co zdarzyło się na peronie… byłam w szoku i dalej trochę mi smutno.
Podsumowując: solidne YA, jednak usunęłabym z niego Sakurai, a całkowicie oddała się ukazaniem mniejszości i trudu życia w miejscu, gdzie „czystość krwi” jest najważniejsza, a uprzedzenia górują nad zdrowym rozsądkiem.