jacss's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Listened to audiobook through Nextory.
"The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida" is part coming of age love story, part trauma lore. When Miwako Sumida commits suicide, it comes as a surprise to her friends. The story recounts how they all met, and concludes with a final meeting and passing of Miwako.
A few takeaways:
- The sister, Fumi, is a transwoman and I thought her depiction was effortless. She was respected as a female character by the author, and it shows. I thought this was more tasteful than other similar books, such as Kitchen, for instance. I also appreciated that being trans, was not the only characteristic that Fumi received, she was a fully fledged character, and not a token of any sort.
- I enjoyed the setting of a Tokyo book, grabbing the map and traveling with them where the book was clear enough.
- I am not sure if Ryusei is dead. Did he also receive the curse? Or has he killed himself to be with Miwako? Or just let himself die after getting sick on the mountain. Not sure.
It was a quick listen, about 9 hours in 2 days and I enjoyed it.
"The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida" is part coming of age love story, part trauma lore. When Miwako Sumida commits suicide, it comes as a surprise to her friends. The story recounts how they all met, and concludes with a final meeting and passing of Miwako.
Spoiler
A few takeaways:
- The sister, Fumi, is a transwoman and I thought her depiction was effortless. She was respected as a female character by the author, and it shows. I thought this was more tasteful than other similar books, such as Kitchen, for instance. I also appreciated that being trans, was not the only characteristic that Fumi received, she was a fully fledged character, and not a token of any sort.
- I enjoyed the setting of a Tokyo book, grabbing the map and traveling with them where the book was clear enough.
- I am not sure if Ryusei is dead. Did he also receive the curse? Or has he killed himself to be with Miwako? Or just let himself die after getting sick on the mountain. Not sure.
It was a quick listen, about 9 hours in 2 days and I enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Rape
flattrash's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Abortion, Blood, Suicide, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Rape
aphrochilds's review against another edition
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Bullying
lumiiyowo's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Suicide, and Bullying
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Transphobia
autumnk3lly's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Bullying
Moderate: Death of parent, Abortion, and Sexual assault
Minor: Dysphoria and Body shaming
dianacarmel's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
3.5
I chose this book randomly to satisfy a reading challenge prompt “a book where the main character's name is in the title”. It is engaging and well-written, but not a genre I would normally choose (which is why I do reading challenges!) so I’m not sure I’d recommend this to others.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
caseyae96's review against another edition
I don’t know what it was but I just couldn’t get into it. I didn’t care about the plot or characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
tessjx's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Slight glorification of suicide aside, this is a fantastic book. Characters are so compelling and rich, and I really felt like I was learning and growing them. I would recommend it to anyone
TW: rape, suicide, bullying
TW: rape, suicide, bullying
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
Minor: Transphobia, Cancer, and Adult/minor relationship
ruby_mae_read's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Suicide
Moderate: Abortion, Sexual assault, and Rape
my_bibliotheca's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
4.75
Hidup tak pernah seberat yg dialami Miwako Sumida. Jadi, ketika semua rahasianya ia ceritakan, hampir tak bisa dibayangkan betapa kuatnya Miwako menghadapi semua tanpa mengatakannya kepada siapapun sampai akhir hidupnya.
Dari penampilannya yg kaku dan sikapnya yg dingin, pembaca pasti sudah menebak-nebak ada yg keliru dg kehidupannya. Dan semua itu terjawab di akhir cerita, kenapa ia selalu berusaha menyembunyikan setiap luka dan takut membangun hubungan dg Ryusei.
Di prolog, kita sudah dipancing dg percapakan Ryusei dan Chie mengenai dugaan tenpat bunuh dirinya Miwako. Misteri buku ini dibangun dg rapi dan berhasil membuat pembaca penasaran. Potongan-potongan clue dikumpulkan dg menekuri kisah dr ketiga sudut pandang karakter yg dekat dg Miwako, yaitu Ryusei, Chie, dan Fumi. Tidak seperti di buku pertamanya (Rainbirds), Clarissa Goenawan menutup ending secara pasti dr pengakuan Miwako sendiri. Jadi, pertanyaan-pertanyaan dan segala sesuatu yg mengganjal sebelumnya terjawab sudah di sini. Tuntas!
Kejutan-kejutan di akhir cerita (POV Fumi) dan beberapa yg sudah dipaparkan sedikit melalui POV Ryusei dan Chie terasa sangat memuaskan rasa penasaran dan masuk akal mengingat sikap Miwako yg sebegitu dinginnya.
Selain menyoroti tentang kisah di balik sosok Miwako Sumida dan karakter lainnya, buku ini jg menyoroti bagaimana cara berdamai dg kematian orang yg disayangi. Cara yg ditempuh Ryusei dan Chie untuk mengikhlaskan kepergian Miwako hampir sama seperti di buku Rainbirds, yakni dg mengunjungi desa terakhir yg ditinggali oleh Miwako untuk menekuri kegiatan selama hidupnya. Sampai akhirnya Ryusei mampu menerima segala kenyataan yg ada dan berdamai dengannya.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Grief, Death of parent, and Suicide
Moderate: Rape