Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - ปาฏิหาริย์ร้านชำของคุณนามิยะ

i've always wanted to dip my toes in the japanese magical realism genre and im glad i chose this book to start with!!! this book was recommended to by a friend, bless his soul.

though by the plot you could expect lots of heavy issues and hard problems to come up, there's a cozy and comforting aura to it. the story switched between perspective a lot, and somehow im always intrigued and able to sympathise with each characters.

and the end??? oh my god, the ending. literally teared up but like in the best way possible way <3

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fluture's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

5.0

This book basically shows us that everyone–no matter from what background you came from–has the right to choose whether you will follow an advice or to do the opposite, to choose a new path or stay in your path, to let go or not to let go, and it's also your choice to regret or not to regret the decisions that you have made. Life is basically a table full of platters with various kind of dishes that are free for you to take, to taste, or to keep. We all have the chance to create a better future for ourselves, no matter how cruel the past was.

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whosjessanyway's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.0

This was a cozy read. I liked how all the storylines were somehow connected, it was very satisfying to watch things tie together by the end.

It was a bit too slow at times, making it hard for me to connect to some of the characters here and there. Still, and enjoyable read, nonetheless :)

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bexi's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

It was really clever how the author weaved all of the storylines together. You definitely have to pay attention while reading this book. I think I would've enjoyed it more if I wasn't in the middle of a reading slump.

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tigger89's review against another edition

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hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was lovely. I was concerned it might be too sappy/inspirational for my tastes, but it managed to come in just on the safe side. Perhaps it was the bittersweet nature of the narratives, in both content and conclusion.

With five narratives that cross over into each other, each time revealing more of the complex connections behind the story, there's a lot to keep track of. If you're someone who's bad at names, you might want to keep notes, eg: "Susako Hirano, ch 3, moon rabbit's older bro." Don't be me, lulled into a false sense of security early on, but flipping frantically through to check names by the end of chapter 4.

I do want to say that, contrary to tags, this book is not magical realism. Magical realism requires its magic to be unremarked upon; the magic just is, what else did you expect? But the magic of the general store, while almost ordinary in nature, is unusual for the setting, and is remarked upon by every character who learns of it. So, this isn't the magical realism book you're looking for.

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_forestofpages's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

This book is a treasure. It was hopeful, reflective and heartwarming. It dealt with serious topics and characters that felt real. I loved this book with my whole heart.

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aegireads's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

very mawkish but i like that kinda stuff lmao

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