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paigieodo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
*Story Graph doesn’t let me add any water/drowning related content warnings, but it’s there. It’s on the stronger side of moderate.
Moderate: Death and Medical content
Minor: Chronic illness, Blood, and Excrement
readingwithkt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Medical content, and Car accident
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Forced institutionalization
redrosemoth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Car accident, and Death of parent
nikspandya's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
emily_mh's review against another edition
- 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
Having an elderly MC being written with such respect by the author was amazing. Kumiko was so dynamic: steadfast and funny, full of love and grief. I loved her resolve and sheer determination. I loved that this book showed her joys and disasters. I’ve never had the pleasure of reading an elderly character written this way before; it’s how it should always be done.
The community that built up around Kumiko was so wonderful, full of community love, neighbourly love, family love, and queer love too.
Even though this book is about death, it doesn’t read as heavy. It actually has a really hopeful outlook on death; the reason Kumiko is fighting it is not because she is scared but because she doesn’t feel like it’s her time to go. Yet neither does the narrative brush over the crushing emotional impact of death on those still living. It strikes a careful balance between the two that as a reader I found validating, yet palatable.
I think the black-and-white colour palette was actually such a good choice for the book, matching its morbid and at times somber tone. And of course, I love Anne Xu’s art style, particularly her use of thin line weight.
As a final note, my favourite quote from the book was: “More of us feel closer to death than we have ever felt, but it is possible to live vibrantly, even near Death’s shadow.”
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Terminal illness, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: drowning, loss of a loved one Minor: reference to the Canadian Japanese imprisonment camps, chronic painchaoticnostalgia's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Genocide, and Blood
ynotlime's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Death and Injury/Injury detail
mossgoblins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Death
Minor: Terminal illness, Medical content, and Dementia
tinymatriarch's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Death
limina's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Death
Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Grief