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

emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I did not expect the book to turn out the way it did. Whenever I thought I figured it out, the story takes an entirely different direction. This must be how Ruth felt while reading Nao’s journal. If this is the author’s intent, then I’d say she did a splendid job! 

This book is a lot but in a good way. It’s sad yet hopeful with a dash of whimsy and magic. I felt Nao’s young, powerful voice and her interesting narrative. Ruth’s POV wasn’t as compelling but it still added to the storytelling. I also like how stories from WWII and some insight on 9/11 is told from the Japanese perspective. It’s something I don’t usually come across in books and it was quite interesting. 

A Tale for the Time Being is unusual and not exactly an easy read (for me at least) but it’s definitely a page turner.
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