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ada_elisabeth's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
I'm so glad I read this. It was dramatic, melancholic, and deeply philosophical. It was one of the best explorations of the human experience I've ever read. It was one of the few translated books that I found to have beautiful writing. It was, in an odd way, comforting.
This book does a great job of balancing the intensity of Yozo's life and emotions; although it is often a very calm, slow-paced story, there are moments (especially towards the end) when it begins to spiral and peak in the best way possible.
I am sure I will revisit this book (and this review) in the future, because I loved it and I could think about it probably for the rest of my life, but for now, we're on to other things.
Since I still haven't started school yet, there may be time for one final book of Sad Book Summer, but if not, this was a remarkable way to close the season out. It wasn't tender or gentle in the way that many other sad books are, and it had almost no positivity or happiness in it, but sometimes, that's the only thing I want to read. I think this may very well be my favorite book of the year. 5/5. Incredible.
There were too many amazing quotes for me to pick just one favorite, so here are my top three:
"There are all kinds of unhappy people in the world."
"I wonder if I have actually been happy."
"It is curious, but the cathedrals of melancholy are not necessarily demolished if one can replace the vulgar "What a messy business it is to be fallen for" with the more literary "What uneasiness lies in being loved."
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
micahsch17's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Mental illness and Misogyny
perth_is's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
sausten03's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
semplianto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, and Vomit
sendnunes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
ajabatz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
masq's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt
_nolongerhuman_'s review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Misogyny
Minor: Bullying and Grief
historyoftape's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Getting a look into the psyche of someone who cannot understand humanity, therefore struggles to define himself, defines himself as a monster and the watches himself become one, and in the end is just so incredibly human even while he believes himself not to be. That is what I would summarize this book to be, even though there is so much more.
Read the trigger warnings though. Would not recommend this to anyone currently struggling with depression or suicidal ideation. I'd say I'm mentally doing well right now, don't know what this would have been like if I'd read it at other points in life.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Pedophilia