A review by alyssone
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

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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