This book is reminiscent of a lot of other Japanese pop lit coming out in recent years. It's an interesting, dark look at the effects of bullying on children. Unfortunately, like most other Japanese pop lit, it appears to fall short a far as translation is concerned, making the prose dry and too direct.

Nothing about this novel represents "heaven." Kawakami's YA novel could have been titled "Hell," and that would have seemed more in lines with this novel of two young students constantly being brutally bullied by classmates. Unfortunately, once we get to the end of the novel, when a woman happens to come across the bullying, the novel ends abruptly, and we don't know what really happened to the attackers, to the girl who was being bullied, but our main character gets his lazy eye repaired and his mom says he doesn't have to go to school the next year.

The prose isn't that deep, or that developed, so we don't really see the parents of these two kids, and when our main character addresses one of his bullies at the hospital, the bully basically says they bully just for something to do and it doesn't mean that much to them one way or another, and that he just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time (even though we do know that many of these scenes of violence are preplanned for after school), and some people just allow themselves to be bullied. Basically, be a bully or be bullied. Nothing else.

I'm not sure how YA readers will respond to this novel because there are so many books and films about bullying, and this novel doesn't show us anything else about the lives of these characters, so we finish the novel unsure if anything changes in their lives, nor what those changes may be.

A grim, graphic story of bullying that mY be bold in its confrontation of the issues but left this reader detached rather than delighted.

"Heaven", originally titled "ヘヴン" (Hevun" in Japanese, was first published in 2009 as Mieko Kawakami's first full length novel. In 2010 it was awarded the Murasaki Shikibu Prize for Literature. Twelve years later, following Kawakami's sweeping success in the English speaking world with "Breasts and Eggs", English-speaking readers are fortunate enough to have access to this short gem, translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd.

"Heaven" is a short, but very impactful novel. It follows the developing bond between two middle school students, a boy and a girl, both victims of severe bullying. As they get close to each other, they try to make sense of and find meaning behind what is happening to them. This book was one of the toughest reads I have come across in recent years. The bullying scenes, which take up a good portion of the book and are very detailed in description, were extremely difficult to read. The bullying is extremely callous, more so than in other books dealing with similar themes. Throughout the whole book, much like the characters themselves, I felt very tense and on the edge about when the bullies would come up with something next.

While I can't use the word "enjoyed" to describe my reading experience of "Heaven", I can say that it is a book that I appreciate. It is definitely thought-provoking, and has made it to my favorites this year. I would definitely make this required high school reading, with a full fledged discussion about it. It's an important book, that tackles an important and difficult subject well.

Thank you to NetGalley & Europa Editions US for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Look out for this one after May 25th in the US at Europa Editions US.

As an educator, and the person in charge of discipline at a school, this account of bullying is something I will never forget. I don't often love a teen narrator, but in Heaven, it worked perfectly. This is an incredible book with incredible writing, but also a very powerful message. I highly recommend!

Another riveting story about bullying in a Japanese middle school, but this one is particularly captivating. I think a lot of credit should go to the translating team of Sam Bett and David Boyd, because it's incredibly well-done, it doesn't even read like a translation it's so smooth and engaging. Main character Eyes is horribly abused by the boys at school and likewise Kojima is by the girls, the two 14-yr olds ally themselves in secret, outside of school. I wanted so badly for the two of them to join forces and double their strength against the popular scumbags but alas, it wasn't to be. When they're finally found out together, the scene is more brutal than all those previous.

I'm not sure why the title was chosen. I get that it references the artwork Kojima loved so much, and arranged to bring Eyes to but then they didn't even get to see it. Because she uttered the word "eyes". And then Heaven was hardly mentioned again. But I'm good with the understanding that the title is pretty much the opposite of what these poor kids endured. I didn't want the story to end. And yet I loved the ending.

As tends to be the case with ARCS, I was super excited for this one because I want to read something else the author wrote and this was a chance to check them out for free to see what I’d be getting into. I still really want to read Breasts and Eggs, but this was a deeply unpleasant book. I can’t say it was bad. I pretty much read it in one go and was invested the whole time, but it was rough. It just felt super nihilistic and had a lot of philosophical musings on bullying that might have gone over my head, but did feel, for lack of a better term, a bit edgelord-y. It was really well written and had a ton of lines that I’m positive are going to be highlighted like crazy on Goodreads, but just know going in that it is not necessarily fun to read and involves some pretty vicious middle school bullying. Thanks for the opportunity to check this out, Europa Editions!

The narrator, a teen nicknamed Eyes because of his amblyopia, is bullied from his earliest school years by a specific group of classmates who contrive to taunt, tease, and coerce him into performing acts he would prefer not to. He manufactures a number of reasons why he can't turn to a trusted adult - the bullying will get worse, he will be viewed as a weakling, he will not be believed, etc. Eventually, shortly after the events of the narrative begin, he discovers that he has a kindred spirit in the form of Kojima, a female classmate who is similarly bullied. Can they come up with a plan to put a stop to the bullying? Is there a way they can accomplish this on their own?

This was a very good bittersweet read, lots of food for thought in something that many of us can relate to. At first glance, Mieko Kawakami presents a slim novella of bully-porn and the ramifications of the apparently glorified inaction on the part of the sufferer. As with so many of the other books I've read and enjoyed so far this year, we readers are left to dig through layers to come up with our own answers, in spite of the path seemingly provided throughout.

There are lots of trigger warnings necessary for the casual reader - the portrayal of bullying here is particularly heartless, increasingly aggressive, and as the book progresses - and Kojima and Eyes have begun to establish a possible way out of their tortures - the unopposed antagonists explore new levels of violence and sadism. There is a frank consideration of suicide, albeit brief, as a means to escape. There is apparent (but not necessarily accurate) apathy from the adults inhabiting the protagonists' world. There are episodes in which our young heroes surrender to the actions of their tormentors. There is discussion of divorce, and there is at least one episode of possible self-harm. At one point, one of the principal antagonists is approached, after which he introduces self-doubt into the narrator's world when asked for his specific motives for bullying.

There is a great deal to take in within the 190-some pages; questions of 'why are we here?' and 'what is our purpose?' come and go, and often stick. Questions, too, arise regarding the consequences of choices and the impact on a fragile friendship. Adults often don't get a favorable portrayal, but that's the product of not having the information needed to take effective action.

Recommended reading, but not without the warnings listed above.

Sincere thanks to the author, Europa Editions, and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC. This did not influence my review or rating.

I finished Heaven weeks ago and have really struggled to review it. How do I convey how a book about teenage bullying, disability, and mental illness is actually wonderful? There is so much beauty in Kawakami's writing, her character development, the story line, and all of the big questions of why are there for exploring. Kawakami is an incredible writer. This is a triggering book, bear that in mind, but if you are comfortable with the topics mentioned, this is a must read.

HEAVEN is anything but a lighthearted coming-of-age-in-middle-school tale. Instead, it has the feel of a Stephen King horror story about children trapped in a nightmare filled with the threat of gratuitous violence. Kawakami raises some basic questions about teenage bullying. Who gets bullied? Why do some people torment others? Why do the victims tolerate it? Unfortunately, she offers few answers. Instead, she superficially jumps between a host of more subtle themes, including non-conformity, adolescent angst, breakdowns in familial communication, common issues around violence, and the limitations of societal norms for coping with cruelty and weakness.

Kawakami’s nameless 14-year-old protagonist is surrounded by silence at home from his stepmother and at school where no adult seems to be aware of or even care about his constant struggle with intense bullying. It is hard to see how these settings can be construed as even remotely heavenly. Instead, they seem more like a living hell. In the final analysis, Kawakami leaves this young man confused, isolated, vulnerable and exposed.

Kojima is a fellow traveler, who seeks to connect with the boy through a series of cryptic notes that eventually grow into a clandestine friendship. Her background resembles his—distant mother and absent father who has his own set of societal challenges. The teens bond in safe places with a shared sense of victimhood. Their conversations start by dancing around their experiences with bullying, but eventually address them directly. Neither seems to fully understand their predicament. The boy tries to make sense of his plight by attributing the bullying to his “lazy eye”, an explanation Kawakami seems ambivalent about accepting. When a kindly physician suggests that he get a rather simple procedure for his eye, the boy and Kojima are not so sure he should follow this advice since his eye is part of his identity. Kojima, on the other hand, has confusing thoughts about her own bullying experience reasoning that giving in actually is some form of resistance.

Kawakami’s plot seems simple enough. The bullying is unrelenting and escalates as the story moves forward. She is unflinching in her graphic depictions of the depravity, while also evoking insight and compassion depicted by Kojima and the doctor who treats the boy’s injuries. Despite this level of control, Kawakami’s narrative is not flawless. There seems to be much introspection with little resolution to show for it. The characters are all teenagers, yet they sound like worldly adults. Although not as gruesome as Stephen King’s prom scene in “Carrie,” the inevitable revenge is riveting. Yet, it may be too subtle to resolve much. Are the tormentors at bottom really only cowards or just displaying common teenage embarrassment by nudity? What were Kojima’s motivations for behaving as she does in this scene? In the final analysis, one wonders if Kawakami is saying that confrontation is the only viable solution to bullying?

This melancholic book squeezes your heart and rarely lets go. The bullying and ‘Eyes’ non-reaction to it were almost too much (I’m still wondering if it was just the bullying or the passivity that were getting to me and what does that say about me?). Thankfully we had moments of relief through ‘Eyes’ and Kojima’s friendship and conversations. Their conversations didn’t read like that of two 14 year olds, but rather these long existential/philosophical debates and explanations on morality and power. Kawakami makes us think about victimhood, suffering, and empowerment. What does it mean to be different? How do we find meaning in the brutality of life? Are humans inherently selfish? All of this is told through minimalistic, beautiful prose. For me, the ending scene was the most beautiful.


Thank you Europa Editions for the ARC.

I'm giving this book 3 stars because I think it was good, but just not my taste. I enjoyed that the story jumped into action right away, and it was a very interesting and specific character study. Certain elements of the narrative were interesting enough to keep me reading. All in all, I appreciated the book but I know it just isn't the kind of book I love to read.

A hard but beautifully written book about two children with a budding secret friendship dealing with daily abuses from their bullies. Some passages are heartbreaking and there is few moments of hope.

Heaven tells the story of a teenager with a lazy eye who gets bullied in school to the point where he contemplates suicide. One day, he gets a letter from Kojima, a classmate whom he had never talked to but who also got bullied repeatedly by the other girls. They keep sending each other letters and develop a secret friendship over the course of a few months. During this time however, they change. Kojima develops a philosophy of suffering to an extent that it becomes her main purpose in life, while the boy sees a glimpse of hope that might curb his misery.

Mieko Kawakami portrays 14-year-olds with a great deal of depth. The antagonists are multi-faceted. They're not just popular among other students because of their looks or attitude, they're academically gifted too. They're very smart, yet compassionless. The protagonists are not mere victims either, for Kojima the pain has meaning, ending it would mean admitting defeat, increasing it intentionally makes her feel in control.

The language is sharp yet beautiful, particularly in the context of the main character's double vision. What makes this story a great read is that it's ultimately about the the choices one can make when facing the unfairness of life.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing the free copy to review!

This book is a Camus style meditation on bullying, pain, weakness, and meaning that I loved every second of. The minimalistic prose that is characteristic of Breasts & Eggs and other contemporary Japanese literature does wonders for the narrator’s voice. Like B&E, this book sets out to challenge and answer a societal tension—in this case the hells that come with childhood and the imbalance of power inherent in humanity. Kawakami blows up the most basic aspects of existence in order to reveal their hidden dramas. I’m always inspired by her work. This book solidified her for me as a contemporary master.

Breast and eggs was an intense gripping read and so is Heaven.A book about bullying can be difficult to read but this one is so well written it kept me turning the pages.Looking forward tomorr translated books by this author,#netgalley#europabooks

Similar to Kawakami's earlier Breast and Eggs, this novel about bullying is slow and meandering. The violence portrayed here is viceral and worth a trigger warning. Ultimately, her glacial pacing and lack of plot overshadows the moments of beautiful prose that is contained within her writing for me.

Mieko Kawakamj is new to me, but after reading her latest, I’ll surely be picking up Breasts and Eggs. Heaven is a heart-wrenching story of a middle school boy, nicknamed Eyes by the bullies at school. Through friendship with a girl named Kojima, who is also bullied at school, our main character finds understanding and love. This is a deep dive into questions about morality, purpose, relationships, and perseverance. Kawakami does a brilliant job of giving agency to these children characters, never diminishing their situations and always allowing them to be complex, emotional, real individuals. Highly recommended. Thanks to Europa and NetGalley.

This was a gripping read told from the point of view of a fourteen-year-old student who is being perpetually bullied. It’s the way things have been and the way he assumes it will be. There’s a passivity to him about the violence both emotional and physical that he has to endure. But something is awakened inside of him when he gets to know one of his classmates, Kojima, a young woman who is also being bullied, who begins leaving him empathetic notes. The prose is succinct and sparse, but emotional and compelling. The friendship feels authentic. Heaven explores the territory of being bullied through new terrain.

Mieko Kawakami tells a story of young adolescent bullying in this new novel. Between horrific descriptions of violence and bullying at the hands of other children, she slips in philosophical musings about the meaning of bullying, if indeed there is one, and transcendence from one's circumstances. I found the scenes of bullying visceral and hard to read and it unfortunately colored my own reception to the book. While I appreciated the questions she brought up and some of the storytelling examining the main character's relationships to his one friend and to his stepmother, I felt that the scenes of senseless bullying overshadowed the book to the point that I could not find a purpose to the plot. I think this may be a very intentional choice on her part, as it illustrates some viewpoints and philosophy of a nihilist view on life, but it didn't make it a particularly enjoyable reading experience for myself.