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A review by tiareadsbooks25
The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida by Clarissa Goenawan
5.0
•read•
4.5/5⭐
❝A lot of different paths can lead to the same place.❞
—Page 173
❝I shouldn't have lied to myself, or to anyone else. I shouldn't have pretended everything was perfect.❞
—Page 266
•••
Weeks ago, I was debating myself which Clarissa Goenawan's books I should read first, Rainbirds or The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida (TPWoMS). Then, I decided to read TPWoMS first because the story seemed more interesting to me and I regret nothing.
The story is about Miwako Sumida—a sophomore at Waseda University—who commits suicide after hiding away for months in a remote mountainside village called Kitsuyama. Miwako's death left her closest friends to grieving and reeling as they didn't expect Miwako to hang herself to death. They've no clue and couldn't understand why Miwako made that decision. That's how they started seeking answers.
I do love TPWoMS because it tells Miwako's story through three different characters—Ryusei Yanagi, Chie Ohno, and Fumi Yanagi. Each of them has their own Miwako's stories, but nobody seems to know the whole. Yet, along with the three of them, I try to solve a puzzle of Miwako's life and death.
This book has given me a nice impression of Clarissa's works. She did a great job by addressing several issues like sexual abuse, gender identity, and so on. I enjoy her smooth storytelling that somehow feels mysterious, tragic, and magical, but still calm and beautiful at the same time. I could even feel that I was in Kitsuyama with Ryusei and Chie, and also the horror I got from reading Fumi's part that forced me to stop reading it. Overall, I enjoyed this page-turner book! Especially all the characters who have a simple yet interesting story.
•••
#tiareadsbooks #tiawritesreviews
4.5/5⭐
❝A lot of different paths can lead to the same place.❞
—Page 173
❝I shouldn't have lied to myself, or to anyone else. I shouldn't have pretended everything was perfect.❞
—Page 266
•••
Weeks ago, I was debating myself which Clarissa Goenawan's books I should read first, Rainbirds or The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida (TPWoMS). Then, I decided to read TPWoMS first because the story seemed more interesting to me and I regret nothing.
The story is about Miwako Sumida—a sophomore at Waseda University—who commits suicide after hiding away for months in a remote mountainside village called Kitsuyama. Miwako's death left her closest friends to grieving and reeling as they didn't expect Miwako to hang herself to death. They've no clue and couldn't understand why Miwako made that decision. That's how they started seeking answers.
I do love TPWoMS because it tells Miwako's story through three different characters—Ryusei Yanagi, Chie Ohno, and Fumi Yanagi. Each of them has their own Miwako's stories, but nobody seems to know the whole. Yet, along with the three of them, I try to solve a puzzle of Miwako's life and death.
This book has given me a nice impression of Clarissa's works. She did a great job by addressing several issues like sexual abuse, gender identity, and so on. I enjoy her smooth storytelling that somehow feels mysterious, tragic, and magical, but still calm and beautiful at the same time. I could even feel that I was in Kitsuyama with Ryusei and Chie, and also the horror I got from reading Fumi's part that forced me to stop reading it. Overall, I enjoyed this page-turner book! Especially all the characters who have a simple yet interesting story.
•••
#tiareadsbooks #tiawritesreviews