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ellanapton's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-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? N/A
4.5
babayagareads's review
5.0
This is easily the best YA novel I have read so far in 2016. Thanks, Mollie! I'm definitely going to start recommending this to patrons at the library.
dlberglund's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book I've read that attempts to tell some of the stories of the 2011 Japanese earthquake through a fictional narrative. The author include an afterward which explains some of the pieces that she put together from real people's stories, and how she fictionalized them. It's written in poetic verse, which makes it a little easier to read through without feeling overwhelmed by the tragedy. The tragedy is quite overwhelming in itself, and the narrator's personal struggles make it even moreso. However, Kai reads a little younger than his intended age, and I was repeatedly surprised that he was supposed to be finishing high school.
sandraagee's review
4.0
Great read about a boy who survives the 3/11 tsunami in Japan. The first third or so of the book is fairly intense as it discusses the actual tsunami. The rest of the book deals more with Kai's grieving and recovery. Verse is great for telling emotional stories, and this book's use of the technique is certainly no exception.
afro8921's review
4.0
Kai is a 17 year-old Japanese soccer enthusiast on March 11, 2011 when a tsunami hits his coastal town. Kai is left to wonder how to rebuild a life that was slightly fractured before, but seems horribly broken after the tsunami. This novel is told in verse and is paced superbly. The language used vividly depicts the horrific experience of town torn apart and their efforts to rebuild. Readers who come from diverse backgrounds will identify with Kai's attempt to be both Japanese and American.
sc104906's review
4.0
Kai is a senior, who loves playing soccer and lives in Japan. He lives with his Japanese mother and grandparents, his American father abandoned the family several years ago to go live in New York. Kai has had no contact with his father since he left. A terrible earthquake and tsunami hit Japan and Kai loses everything. Kai's only living relative is his father and he is given the chance to go to America and heal with the survivors of the 9/11 attacks ten years earlier. Kai must decide whether or not he wants to reach out to his father and how he will live in this new world.
piperhudsburn's review
2.0
I really appreciated this book....but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The voice was off, but I did enjoy the novel's countless empathic moments. It was passionate and powerful, just not for me.
travelbypagesph's review
4.0
I don’t know what to say. This book.. The story.. It’s heartbreaking. But beautifully written. The entire time I was reading the book, I was waiting for the twist. Hoping his mother would show up in the end. But no. Her dead body wasn’t even found. Is it possible for this book to have a second part? Where they find his mother and Ryu and his grandmother safe somewhere. *sigh* still good. Fast-paced.
jmeighan's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.5