Reviews

The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida by Clarissa Goenawan

rosarium's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

cecilialau_'s review against another edition

4.25

Yep. This book was so addicting. I could not stop reading, just wanting to know what happened next. Really admirable storytelling.
This was my second Clarissa Goenawan book and I had high hopes. And I really liked it. Will admit though that the magical realism element wasn’t giving what it could have imo. I might even say I would have preferred it without it to an extent. 

I was not too sure about the ending. There were a few things left unsaid that might have been nice to explore a bit more. Maybe Miwako’s story (revealed fully at the end) could feel a bit surface-level in terms of a slight lacking in emotional depth. Maybe that’s just me. I also thought Fumi’s part was not as strong as the other two. And I think it was clear that it was Miwako but yeah. I’m nitpicking here bc I was very gripped by the story overall. Loved the - however short - interactions we got to see between Miwako, Ryu and Fumi.

t41's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

mxunsmiley's review

5.0

I absolutely loved this! I particularly fell in love with Miwako; she was a very unique character I haven't come across in a while. She was so forward and unabashed. I also loved the elements of magical realism toward the end, a genre I do love. I do recommend this novel.

melodys_library's review

3.0

I think…I was expecting something entirely different from what this book was. The book is divided into three parts. Each part is from the perspective of one of Miwako’s three friends. The book is more of a mystery/reveal of how and why Miwako died and not so much how Miwako’s life and death impacted each of these three characters.

jozie_bookshelf's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

"People would only seek you out whenever it was convenient for them. When it came to crucial moments, they were drop you immediately to save themselves."

The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida follows Miwako's closest friends in the aftermath of her suicide; specifically, Miwako's best friend, Ryusei, and his older sister, Fumi Ryusei travels to seek answers about Miwako's suicide. While he is gone, Fumi encounters a stranger at their apartment in Tokyo. 

The character creation was well done. Clarissa dives deep into the histories and the complexities of the characters. I love magical realism. I was expecting more out of the ending of the story, but overall, it was a good book.

ruthie_wk's review against another edition

2.5

Up to the 58% mark, this was a solid 4 star read. Then everything was just upended. 

I love magical realism, but in this case it took me away from the story instead of immersing me in it. And what it achieved could have been done perfectly without it. 

Felt like an easy copout to wrap up the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Minor: Sexual assault and Abortion

alyxbrett's review

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

ludirik's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

3.5

coffee_some_more's review

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