Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Klara and the Sun - Klara dan Sang Matahari by Kazuo Ishiguro

203 reviews

amsswim's review against another edition

emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

This one was very sweet. You read from the perspective of an "Artifical Friend", a robot that accompanies children. I really loved how Klara interacted and saw the world. As well as how her perspective lacked context entirely sometimes, but had too much in other points. I would love to know more about the larger world the story takes place in, but it didn't matter to Klara so it was not in the story. It felt like a sweet, nice episode of Black Mirror (those are rare though). I'd recommend for science fiction people and those who like light science fiction.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, and Death

Minor: Cursing and Terminal illness

ninahuynh's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

Artificial Friend, or AF, are the thing of this world. The concept of having an artificial entity aid humans has been a point of discussion in various books and films. In this case, Klara, an AF, was purchased to be Josie's companion and ultimately <Spoiler> aid her mother in the grief process that is to come when Josie eventually passes from her illness. While the summary says that the book explores the question of "what does it mean to love?", I think the crux of the story lies more upon how far would one go for love. While an AF, Klara of course has a more mechanical demeanor to things than her human counterpart; however, that does not mean that she is any less human in the way she keeps her loyalty to Josie. From the moment they promised each other in the store to the moment

Josie leaves for college,

Klara expression of 'love' to her human friend is comparable to that of the humans in Josie's life.

I would also say that this book opens up discussion for artificial intelligent/artificial friends' self.

If Josie had not pulled through and did die from the illness

, how would her mother's demeanor towards Klara change? Would Klara still be able to be Klara after 'becoming' Josie for the mother? Would it be a simple reboot or is there something more complex that would need to take place?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Bullying, Chronic illness, Classism, and Terminal illness

thebetterstory's review against another edition

emotional sad tense slow-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

3.75

A very odd book, owing mostly to its very odd but lovable narrator. We still don't have all that many stories about an AI from their perspective, and those that we do tend to show the AI as very human (see: the delightful Murderbot). Klara's perspective is downright bizarre in a way that's continually surprising and interesting to read. I've never seen an author so successfully convey what it would look like if you essentially created a fully-fledged, mature human, had her live her entire life in a quiet retail store and then sent her out to experience the world with only that limited perspective to rely on. 

The central plot, or what there is of it, remains tense and absorbing as you're drawn into hoping that things will work out for these characters, against all odds and in spite of their blatant flaws.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Child death, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Racism, Bullying, and Xenophobia

The characters are nuanced, but it's certain that they are all generally unkind to Klara at one point or another in the book. I wouldn't personally say that these relationships are solely toxic, and Klara isn't upset by it, but there's definitely significant dehumanization at times (if you count Klara as a human) and a background understanding and suggestion that AFs, including one we care about, have been and continue to be abused.

eyebrightt_'s review against another edition

hopeful mysterious 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

4.25

aughh i totally get why the worldbuilding is so limited but i would have loved to see so much more

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death

unicorn3's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

I decided to read this book because I had an excerpt of it in my Vor-Abi. This little excerpt sparked interest, and I can't deny that I really liked the book. As confusing it sometimes was, reading how Klara explores and learns the world was refreshing. Even though we're left with many open questions this book is really well written and nothing like I expected it to be. It's also not something I would title a masterpiece but I can say for myself I enjoyed it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Medical content and Bullying

eveningreverie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful tense 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

5.0

I cannot read the two barn scenes (you know the ones) without sobbing. I'm serious. I've tried. Klara is so beautiful and pure. Her beliefs are palpable. The method of describing stressful situations through Klara's "boxes" (program focus windows) was so abstract yet to profoundly relatable to humanity. Only Ishiguro can make me simultaneously sickened with and in perpetual awe of the thematic content.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death and Classism

mirandyli's review against another edition

dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

A Black Mirror-esque story about the loneliness that comes with artificial intelligence. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Terminal illness, Death, and Child death

martasshelf's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

This was my first Kazuo Ishiguro book and I knew nothing about him or his writing. I picked this one because the resume on the back sounded interesting. 
I think I liked it overall but found it boring and weird for the first two thirds of the book. 
Almost at the end of the book I looked up some reviews and realized this was just the author's style. Some descriptions given by our narrator - Klara - had felt weird for me and I even wondered if my english, not being my first language, was failing me... No, I was just reading a robot's kind of mind.
If one enjoys slow paced books this will be a great choice. And the themes are pretty universal.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Grief and Child death

hellsjerome's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.75

One of the books with the most staying power that I’ve read. It’s an interesting take on how we treat machines, and how machines treat us. So many striking descriptions and moods that just imprint on your mind. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness

Minor: Child death

ank3's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Ableism