A review by lauraazz
Grave of the Fireflies by James R. Abrams, Akiyuki Nosaka

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

A story about war and it's unforgiving ways. A story about innocent victims and the ones who suffer the most, children. I've seen many think that Seita was selfish for deciding to move out of his aunt's house. But can we blame a child, because that's what he was? Can we fully put the blame on him for not making the best decision? 
I've only recently watched the movie and it has become one of my favourites, although it devastated me and still does every time I see a scene or recall it. I think almost every day of Setsuko, of whom I became extremely attached.
The author's style (which translator tried to keep) was a bit hard to read, as it seemed he was almost rambling and the sentences were long and went on for almost half a page. I think this is where seeing the movie before reading the book helped me. I already knew the story, and the style although hard to read, made me imagine that Seita also had difficulty in finding his thoughts as weak as he was.