Take a photo of a barcode or cover
bethpeninger 's review for:
The Heartbeat Library
by Laura Imai Messina
United States Publication: October 22, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS | The Overlook Press for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.
In the ancient city of Kamakura, Shuichi, a 40-year-old illustrator, and eight-year-old Kenta, become unlikely friends. Kenta would visit Shuichi's now-deceased mother, and her home served as a warm place for Kenta to land. Both Kenta and Shuichi are deeply lonely on their own, and their respective stories, told throughout the book, give the reader insight into the cause of the loneliness our characters are experiencing. The underlying theme of Shuichi's life is his troublesome heart, and in the end, it is his heart that brings him healing.
Messina writes with a very lyrical voice. She is beautifully descriptive and gives a lot of thought to her characters, especially their inner lives and voices. I didn't feel like this story had any momentum until the last few pages. I almost gave up on it several times. It moved slowly, too slowly, in my opinion. Even several days after finishing it, I'm having a hard time recalling any moment of the story in which I connected. This one just wasn't for me, unfortunately.
Thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS | The Overlook Press for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.
In the ancient city of Kamakura, Shuichi, a 40-year-old illustrator, and eight-year-old Kenta, become unlikely friends. Kenta would visit Shuichi's now-deceased mother, and her home served as a warm place for Kenta to land. Both Kenta and Shuichi are deeply lonely on their own, and their respective stories, told throughout the book, give the reader insight into the cause of the loneliness our characters are experiencing. The underlying theme of Shuichi's life is his troublesome heart, and in the end, it is his heart that brings him healing.
Messina writes with a very lyrical voice. She is beautifully descriptive and gives a lot of thought to her characters, especially their inner lives and voices. I didn't feel like this story had any momentum until the last few pages. I almost gave up on it several times. It moved slowly, too slowly, in my opinion. Even several days after finishing it, I'm having a hard time recalling any moment of the story in which I connected. This one just wasn't for me, unfortunately.