A review by rieriereads
Ms Ice Sandwich by Mieko Kawakami

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

• 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? No

1.5

𝘈𝘴 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴, "𝘈𝘭 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘰!" 𝘐 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺, "𝘈𝘭 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘰!"

𝙼𝚜. 𝙸𝚌𝚎 𝚂𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚠𝚒𝚌𝚑, written by Mieko Kawakami and translated by Louise Heal Kawai, centers around a young boy living with his mother and sick grandmother. Every day he goes to the supermarket to buy egg sandwiches from a lady, whom he calls Ms. Ice Sandwich.
 
At first, the story was fine and quite enjoyable. I loved how Kawakami made you directly know that it was a child's POV without even reading the book's description. The writing has a childish feel to it, but at the same time, it also feels fresh, nostalgic, and reflective.
 
But as I continued on, the middle part fell short for me. I was bored and found myself wanting to finish it just because I had already started it. What made me stay, though, was his relationship with his grandma and the little moments he has with Tutti, his classmate. The ending, though, was better. I liked how you could see the little changes in our main character.
 
Overall, seeing as how many people adore it, I'd probably still recommend this book. If you're looking for a charming, reflective, and short read, you should give this a chance.
 
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My Rating System

5 🌟 - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 ⭐ - I loved it
3 ⭐ - I liked it 
2 ⭐ - It was okay
1 ⭐ - I hated it but decided to  not dnf