Reviews

Shizuko's Daughter by Kyoko Mori

victoria_08's review against another edition

3.75

I was very pleasantly surprised by this! I wasn't expecting much, but I loved it. The tone and cadence that the author wrote in was so lovely, it made me with this book was longer. Nothing remarkable happened in this but the writing and characters were so enjoyable to read about 

rosiereads613's review against another edition

4.0

This book brought out so many emotions. I loved the different perspectives and moving of the timeline in the book as well as the fact that Yuki was able to find happiness.

celestihel's review against another edition

4.0

I'm really not sure how to review this book. Everything I write sounds trite. I loved it, and it's a wonderful story about families in the evolving cultural landscape of Japan. It's also about being an outsider, being a little different, in a world that doesn't seem to have a lot of room for that kind of thing, but it has more room than you would expect. It's a YA novel but it doesn't feel like one.

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

Spoiler

suicide

Spoiler

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Infidelity

odinblindeye's review against another edition

2.0

Old Children's Book. Liked it as a kid, but haven't read it in years.

alibrarycat721's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.75

patpatpotato's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

This book is relatable, coming from a girl who did not get a relationship with her mother. And that's all I will say. I read this over and over. It has helped me cope through my autism and therapy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

crowyhead's review against another edition

3.0

A YA novel about Yuki, a Japanese girl whose mother commits suicide when Yuki is twelve. The author does an excellent job of conveying Yuki's sense of difference from other children, as well as her confusion about what to feel towards her mother. I did feel frustrated in that Yuki's stepmother, Hanae, is pretty much unrelentingly meanspirited, and Yuki's father isn't much better. I suppose, however, that while in the third person, the novel is told predominantly from Yuki's point of view, so Hanae is likely to come across as a fairly unsympathetic character, anyway.

quinnster's review

4.0

I read a book years and years ago about a woman who had a contentious relationship with her father after her mother died young. She was not allowed to see her mother's family anymore and he father remarried right away. As soon as she was able she moved out of Japan and away from her father and stepmother. This was the YA book of that except that it was through the eyes of the child as she's going through it and it was just really sad.

The one thing I don't enjoy about Japanese culture is the idea that it is disrespectful to anyone that a child should want to see her grandparents or aunts and uncles of their deceased parent. I understand why, I just couldn't imagine not having a relationship with half my family. Especially for Yuki, who had no other family. Her stepmother was a monster, no two ways around it and her father was not any better.

Thankfully, the book ended on a hopeful note and we do see Yuki let go of the material reminders of her mother so her father and stepmother couldn't hurt her with them, but the book left me feeling melancholy, though grateful for my parents and family.

beecatbell's review against another edition

5.0

This book was slightly depressing.
There was much description, but it wasn't overdone or anything.
The character herself was interesting; not your typical, perfect main character.
It was an enjoyable look into Japanese culture.
One of my favorites this year.