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A review by heli613
He Mele A Hilo by Ryka Aoki
5.0
What a beautiful story this was! I loved everything about this book, and I'm not even sure where to start with it.
The setting itself is what interested me at first. I didn't know much about Hawaii and its traditions, its culture, etc, besides a very superficial approach to it. And with this book, I simply felt transported to the island, into the city of Hilo, and it made me want to look into it even more!
I loved the range of characters that bring many different points of view, many stories, many struggles... every character was fascinating, even the ones on the side.
The story itself had very low stakes, but it was interesting enough to make me want to go on, and it gave us time to really focus on the rest, which I really appreciated!
And I really adored the other themes that are brought up. The Hawaiian legends, the music and its importance, the true meaning of belonging somewhere, the quest for one's identity... the touch of fantasy was definitely a plus as well, making this story even more magical! It transported me to the other side of the earth for a few hours and I enjoyed every second I spent there.
The setting itself is what interested me at first. I didn't know much about Hawaii and its traditions, its culture, etc, besides a very superficial approach to it. And with this book, I simply felt transported to the island, into the city of Hilo, and it made me want to look into it even more!
I loved the range of characters that bring many different points of view, many stories, many struggles... every character was fascinating, even the ones on the side.
The story itself had very low stakes, but it was interesting enough to make me want to go on, and it gave us time to really focus on the rest, which I really appreciated!
And I really adored the other themes that are brought up. The Hawaiian legends, the music and its importance, the true meaning of belonging somewhere, the quest for one's identity... the touch of fantasy was definitely a plus as well, making this story even more magical! It transported me to the other side of the earth for a few hours and I enjoyed every second I spent there.