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laurenisallbooked's review against another edition
2.0
Compulsively readable, but the mystery never really pulled me in. The author did a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. I never really felt the suspense she was trying to create.
835mphelps's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked this book...I read it for a book challenge prompt, so I probably would not have found it if it wasn't for that. The story kept me engaged, although I still have questions about some of the issues left unanswered. Some of the writing seemed stilted (not sure that's the right word) but I chalked it up to the differences in culture. I did look up what a cram school was! Thanks for a good read.
deschatjes's review against another edition
4.0
A book that somewhat resembles the slow picking apart of a scab. Ren goes to find out who killed his sister but then gets embroiled in different parts of her life with strands of various stories all being picked apart and unwoven.
Slow but worthwhile read.
Slow but worthwhile read.
interlibraryloan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
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
3.25
that last chapter has me feeling things, man…
memoirsofra's review against another edition
5.0
when his sister was brutally murdered, Ren Ishida decided to leave home and uncover the truth behind his sister's tragic death in a small town called Akakawa. however, he instead "stuck" in Akakawa, without realizing it he began to follow in the footsteps of Keiko, his late sister; did the same job at the same place, lived in the same house, and hang out with the same people. but, is he finally able to join all the dots?
Ren, who thinks he knows Keiko well enough, turns out found a lot of surprising facts about his sister that have been hidden very neatly. the people around Ren who I don't think have a very important role actually become the gateway to the truth.
this novel not only tells about the grief of losing a sibling, but also about the discovery of one's identity. in my opinion, there will always be a period when a person transitions from always spending time fooling around to being a person who thinks far ahead and usually this would be triggered by some sort of incident in that person's life. well, Ren Ishida got this after his sister's death. of course, whatever the situation is, there will always be family who comes to you first.
I really liked the short time I spent reading this novel because even though the whole idea was quite heavy, Clarissa Goenawan wrote this very beautifully. for a debut novel, I have to give applause because rainbirds is so genius!
Ren, who thinks he knows Keiko well enough, turns out found a lot of surprising facts about his sister that have been hidden very neatly. the people around Ren who I don't think have a very important role actually become the gateway to the truth.
this novel not only tells about the grief of losing a sibling, but also about the discovery of one's identity. in my opinion, there will always be a period when a person transitions from always spending time fooling around to being a person who thinks far ahead and usually this would be triggered by some sort of incident in that person's life. well, Ren Ishida got this after his sister's death. of course, whatever the situation is, there will always be family who comes to you first.
I really liked the short time I spent reading this novel because even though the whole idea was quite heavy, Clarissa Goenawan wrote this very beautifully. for a debut novel, I have to give applause because rainbirds is so genius!
lausbiana's review against another edition
4.0
si tuviera un penique por cada vez que el protagonista de un libro es profesor de inglés en una academia desde que curro como teacher tendría dos peniques. lo cuál no es mucho, pero ya es raro que haya pasado dos veces.
gh0stp's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
scy11a's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
4.5
mobyskine's review against another edition
5.0
I should have read Rainbirds first before The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida so I would know that Miwako was actually talking about Ren when she was talking about her 'past relationship' with Ryusei. And reading about Jin again here was a great reminiscing after reading about his playboy-ish character previously (and he's still the same Jin nevertheless).
Rainbirds should be a murder mystery but it was so beautifully written and well constructed. Love its 'monotone' and calm nuances which I find so atmospheric and lyrical. The characters are my favourite-- from Ren to Rio and Honda, even that mysterious Mr Katou as well as Keiko (even though her appearances just from a reminiscence). On family and relationship, of love, loss and grief, a bit of twist, secrets and the unexpected truth. Lovely ending despite how much I was getting immersed with Ren in finding out about Keiko's murder and the 'why'.
It amazes me on how the author could find the exact word to describe things and moment, so soulful and aesthetically pleasing. This book really gives me a very memorable pretty afterthought. Would really recommend this to anyone and just like what the author stated in her note; "especially to those who has not been reading for quite some time." Rainbirds is too charming, it makes me wanna go and read The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida again.
ps: can't wait for Watersong to release next year! (will Ren be there?)
Rainbirds should be a murder mystery but it was so beautifully written and well constructed. Love its 'monotone' and calm nuances which I find so atmospheric and lyrical. The characters are my favourite-- from Ren to Rio and Honda, even that mysterious Mr Katou as well as Keiko (even though her appearances just from a reminiscence). On family and relationship, of love, loss and grief, a bit of twist, secrets and the unexpected truth. Lovely ending despite how much I was getting immersed with Ren in finding out about Keiko's murder and the 'why'.
It amazes me on how the author could find the exact word to describe things and moment, so soulful and aesthetically pleasing. This book really gives me a very memorable pretty afterthought. Would really recommend this to anyone and just like what the author stated in her note; "especially to those who has not been reading for quite some time." Rainbirds is too charming, it makes me wanna go and read The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida again.
ps: can't wait for Watersong to release next year! (will Ren be there?)
tiareadsbooks25's review against another edition
4.0
•recently read•
4.3/5⭐
❝Love comes when you least expect it. That's why people call it falling in love. You cannot learn to fall, nor do you ever plan to. You just happen to fall.❞
—Page 53
❝Remember this, Ren. Sadness alone can't harm anyone. It's what you do when you're sad that can hurt you and those around you.❞
—Page 99
❝I meant the pain she must have felt inside. The trouble with emotional pain is, you can't see the wound. But it's still there. It's real.❞
—Page 105
❝What's so wrong with having no friends? People are born alone, and they die alone. You can't take your friends to the grave.❞
—Page 138
❝It's easier to move move on when you aren't constantly reminded of the past.❞
—Page 162
❝If you love each other, anything can be solved with a simple word of apology. But if you don't, it's too difficult to sustain the relationship.❞
—Page 171
❝It's hard for twenty-somethings to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives.
True, but that's just how it is. The decisions you make in your twenties might be the biggest decisions of your life. .... But we're still young. Too naive and foolish to make such important decisions.❞
—Page 182
❝You don't understand a woman's heart. She's glad she'll never find out. She doesn't even want to know. Either way, it's going to be sad, since one of them has to leave first. It might be fine for the one leaving, but the one who is left behind must feel very, very sad.❞
—Page 303
❝Well, feelings are something you can't force. Either you have them, or you don't.❞
—Page 315
❝It's good to be young. Anything feels possible. As you grow older, you forget how to dream. Before you realize it, one day you wake up and look in the mirror, wondering who the middle-aged man in front of you is.❞
—Page 315
❝What's more important is feeling. When you cook for someone you care about and you put your heart into it, your feeling will come through.❞
—Page 320
•••
Rainbirds tells the story of Ren Ishida who heads to Akakawa after receiving news of his older sister Keiko Ishida's sudden death. There are no leads to the murderer. Thus, Ren tries to find out what caused Keiko's death by tracing her life over the past few years. He temporarily living in Akakawa and accepts an offer to become an English tutor teacher where Keiko used to teach. In the search, Ren managed to uncover the secrets that Keiko had been keeping tightly.
For a debut novel, I think Rainbirds is pretty solid and very well-written. Initially, I expected this to be a murder mystery case, but that is only a small part of the story. However, I am still drawn into Ren's slice-of-life. I love how well Clarissa builds on the dark, lonely, and gloomy yet serene nuances that take place in an imaginary small remote town outside of Tokyo. I can feel the Japanese vibe along the way.
Overall, although the storyline is predictable and the pace is slow, it's a compelling and thoughtful story. I enjoyed my time reading this book!
•••
#tiareadsbooks #tiawritesreviews
4.3/5⭐
❝Love comes when you least expect it. That's why people call it falling in love. You cannot learn to fall, nor do you ever plan to. You just happen to fall.❞
—Page 53
❝Remember this, Ren. Sadness alone can't harm anyone. It's what you do when you're sad that can hurt you and those around you.❞
—Page 99
❝I meant the pain she must have felt inside. The trouble with emotional pain is, you can't see the wound. But it's still there. It's real.❞
—Page 105
❝What's so wrong with having no friends? People are born alone, and they die alone. You can't take your friends to the grave.❞
—Page 138
❝It's easier to move move on when you aren't constantly reminded of the past.❞
—Page 162
❝If you love each other, anything can be solved with a simple word of apology. But if you don't, it's too difficult to sustain the relationship.❞
—Page 171
❝It's hard for twenty-somethings to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives.
True, but that's just how it is. The decisions you make in your twenties might be the biggest decisions of your life. .... But we're still young. Too naive and foolish to make such important decisions.❞
—Page 182
❝You don't understand a woman's heart. She's glad she'll never find out. She doesn't even want to know. Either way, it's going to be sad, since one of them has to leave first. It might be fine for the one leaving, but the one who is left behind must feel very, very sad.❞
—Page 303
❝Well, feelings are something you can't force. Either you have them, or you don't.❞
—Page 315
❝It's good to be young. Anything feels possible. As you grow older, you forget how to dream. Before you realize it, one day you wake up and look in the mirror, wondering who the middle-aged man in front of you is.❞
—Page 315
❝What's more important is feeling. When you cook for someone you care about and you put your heart into it, your feeling will come through.❞
—Page 320
•••
Rainbirds tells the story of Ren Ishida who heads to Akakawa after receiving news of his older sister Keiko Ishida's sudden death. There are no leads to the murderer. Thus, Ren tries to find out what caused Keiko's death by tracing her life over the past few years. He temporarily living in Akakawa and accepts an offer to become an English tutor teacher where Keiko used to teach. In the search, Ren managed to uncover the secrets that Keiko had been keeping tightly.
For a debut novel, I think Rainbirds is pretty solid and very well-written. Initially, I expected this to be a murder mystery case, but that is only a small part of the story. However, I am still drawn into Ren's slice-of-life. I love how well Clarissa builds on the dark, lonely, and gloomy yet serene nuances that take place in an imaginary small remote town outside of Tokyo. I can feel the Japanese vibe along the way.
Overall, although the storyline is predictable and the pace is slow, it's a compelling and thoughtful story. I enjoyed my time reading this book!
•••
#tiareadsbooks #tiawritesreviews