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124smilehd's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's a sad story about a child living in the aftermath of her mother's death and her relation to family members and love itself. She grows from a child to an adult over the course of the book. It also explores how suicide affects those who are left behind, being a bit of an outcast and growing up with a less-than-ideal childhood in what was essentially neglect. There is a bit of a time skip between chapters, about a few months to a year at a time, so it can be a little jarring and can take multiple chapters to develop a single plot point that I had almost thought had been forgotten or left behind. In the edition I have it stated that many of these chapters were published in literary journals and other forms of publication as more stand-alone pieces before being made into a novel, which makes the formatting and pacing of the book make more sense. I would have rated the book higher if the chapters had flowed into each other in a smoother way but overall it is still a worthwhile read, especially for the interesting analysis of Japanese culture and the importance public image has on the character's decision-making.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Infidelity
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