A review by jselliot
Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto

emotional hopeful 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

4.25

Although not quite a traditional epistolary novel, it is still told as somewhat a recounting of past events in a slice of life approach. The mood of the novel carries an infusion of nostalgia and the highlights of rural living. Perhaps because of that nostalgia, it ignores the downsides of that lifestyle. (I particularly enjoyed how the scenery and locations were described, giving the seaside tourist town a more modernized feel of the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons atmosphere.) And while Maria is the narrator, the real star of the show is her cousin, Tsugumi ... who could sometimes be a little infuriating, but she was also an engaging and nuanced chronically ill person. 

Also, I recommend checking out Astrocourt's review, as they go into many of the same thought processes I had while reading it: 

• https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/fe513494-49ac-4ff3-a69b-b4100f1b23db

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death