A review by hey_annie
Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

3.0

I don’t even know what I should write about this book. I just feel really conflicted about it. Generally speaking it is a good book. I would give this book 3.5 to 4 stars, if I had to rate it. The book deals with very difficult, but important and relevant topics. I also think that the story managed to be well written, despite the short length. I can’t really put my finger on it, but something really rubbed me the wrong way. The story itself is uncomfortable, so it isn’t a surprise that I felt uncomfortable reading it. The main character was also quite interesting and acted in way that is understandable in that situation. The other characters were complex, even if they only had few lines. The novel had this weird kind of complexity, that you can’t really put into words. Even if the description of the situation was simple, it had this underlying depth. The author also didn’t shy away from showing the really nasty sides of abuse and bullying, while also portraying what it feels like to gain hope again.