Scan barcode
courtneyptum's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
asienerbrown's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Racism and Classism
outoftheblue14's review against another edition
4.0
My sister, Lynn, taught me my first word: kira-kira. I pronounced it ka-a-ahhh, but she knew what I meant. Kira-kira means "glittering" in Japanese. Lynn told me that when I was a baby, she used to take me onto our empty road at night, where we would lie on our backs and look at the stars while she said over and over, "Katie, say 'kira-kira, kira-kira.'" I loved that word! When I grew older, I used kira-kira to describe everything I liked: the beautiful blue sky; puppies; kittens; butterflies; colored Kleenex.
I picked up Kira-kira by Cynthia Kadohata at the library, in the Italian translation by Alessandra Orcese. It's about an American-Japanese girl growing up in Georgia in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Kate Takeshima, the narrating voice, is a young girl who lives happily with her family in Iowa. Her favourite person and best friend is her older sister Lynne, who makes everything seem kira-kira, glittering and sparkling. When the family moves from Iowa to Georgia, Katie has to adapt to a different world, where people of Japanese descent are often subject to prejudice and racism.
Despite the poverty and difficult conditions of her family - especially her parents working long hours in a poultry company - Katie seems oblivious to what is going on, until the day Lynne gets ill with cancer. Her conditions get worse and worse, while the peace of the family is shattered - the parents working harder and harder to pay for expensive medical care, Katie and her younger brother having to fend off for themselves.
This is a touching, bittersweet novel, packed with many themes: love, grief, racism and prejudice, hard working conditions in the factories, illness, death, and going on with life. It is a very good book, albeit very sad.
I picked up Kira-kira by Cynthia Kadohata at the library, in the Italian translation by Alessandra Orcese. It's about an American-Japanese girl growing up in Georgia in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Kate Takeshima, the narrating voice, is a young girl who lives happily with her family in Iowa. Her favourite person and best friend is her older sister Lynne, who makes everything seem kira-kira, glittering and sparkling. When the family moves from Iowa to Georgia, Katie has to adapt to a different world, where people of Japanese descent are often subject to prejudice and racism.
Despite the poverty and difficult conditions of her family - especially her parents working long hours in a poultry company - Katie seems oblivious to what is going on, until the day Lynne gets ill with cancer. Her conditions get worse and worse, while the peace of the family is shattered - the parents working harder and harder to pay for expensive medical care, Katie and her younger brother having to fend off for themselves.
This is a touching, bittersweet novel, packed with many themes: love, grief, racism and prejudice, hard working conditions in the factories, illness, death, and going on with life. It is a very good book, albeit very sad.
trixster33's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
dilchh's review against another edition
3.0
I honestly thought that this was going to be a quick read, until I realise it was very hard to digest or enjoy the said story. It was not that this book was not entertaining, but it was really hard, and I mean really hard, to understand the voice of a teenage girl. But, don't get me wrong, this was what eventually made me like the story and Katie, as the main character of the book. You can see how Katie develops, first normally like how a teenage girls would, and then surprisingly, it's as if she just grew wiser in one night but you can tell she's still the same teenage girl that she is.
I think for a children's book, this was a bit too dark, especially the fact that Lynn died on her own. Not that it would have been easier had there was anyone with her at all. I cannot imagine how wrecked I would have been had I read this book when I was around Katie's age, instead at 27 right now. Even so, I am still a wrecked after I finished the last paragraph of the last chapter. The idea that Katie could still hear her sister's voice saying kira-kira when Katie finally went to the sea.
As much as I liked the story, I find Katie and Lynn's relationship to be way too perfect. I have the same composition of a sibling with Katie, me being Katie, and I also have an elder sister and a younger brother. I can tell you that we are in no way as close Katie and Lynn was, though I remembered that my sister was as overprotective as Lynn was to Katie. My relationship to my younger brother does in a way similar to that of Katie and Sammy's relationship. I moved around a lot as a kid and still I think that Katie and Lynn was already wise beyond their years, in that it's as if they don't struggle with the idea to move to a new place. For me, everytime we move places, I would be hunted by nightmares.
Anyway, you have to pardon me if this review is such a mess. On my defense, I am typing this review in the middle of the class as I am simultaneously pretend to pay attention and are taking notes.
I think for a children's book, this was a bit too dark, especially the fact that Lynn died on her own. Not that it would have been easier had there was anyone with her at all. I cannot imagine how wrecked I would have been had I read this book when I was around Katie's age, instead at 27 right now. Even so, I am still a wrecked after I finished the last paragraph of the last chapter. The idea that Katie could still hear her sister's voice saying kira-kira when Katie finally went to the sea.
As much as I liked the story, I find Katie and Lynn's relationship to be way too perfect. I have the same composition of a sibling with Katie, me being Katie, and I also have an elder sister and a younger brother. I can tell you that we are in no way as close Katie and Lynn was, though I remembered that my sister was as overprotective as Lynn was to Katie. My relationship to my younger brother does in a way similar to that of Katie and Sammy's relationship. I moved around a lot as a kid and still I think that Katie and Lynn was already wise beyond their years, in that it's as if they don't struggle with the idea to move to a new place. For me, everytime we move places, I would be hunted by nightmares.
Anyway, you have to pardon me if this review is such a mess. On my defense, I am typing this review in the middle of the class as I am simultaneously pretend to pay attention and are taking notes.
faeinthegardens's review against another edition
4.0
Reading this book felt like I was a kid again. The writing and story are simple, but so impactful.
jaydeereading's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
yourlocal_nychotdog's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0