Heaven Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize

Heartwarming and unforgettable. This book made me think about how important it is to stand up for yourself and others. I can recommend it to anyone who likes to read and then reflect on what they have read.

Heaven war mein erstes Buch, was ich von Mieko Kawakami gelesen habe. Und es hat mich in keiner Hinsicht enttäuscht. In kürzester Zeit durchgelesen, und direkt die restlichen Bücher, die Sie geschrieben hat, bestellt.

In Heaven, a fourteen-year-old boy is tormented for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, he chooses to suffer in silence. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate, Kojima, who experiences similar treatment at the hands of her bullies. Providing each other with immeasurable consolation at a time in their lives when they need it most, the two young friends grow closer than ever. But what, ultimately, is the nature of a friendship when your shared bond is terror? (blurb)I had assumed that "Heaven" would be primarily read by young adults and would be "just" another bullying novel, but I believe it's much more than that and should be enjoyed by a wide audience. The bullying in this is so brutal, heartless, and harsh. This is not for the weak of heart, as it can occasionally make reading difficult. I even had to close the book and take a deep breath here and there. The novel also challenges your thinking and is quite philosophical and analytical. And the ending ... This book ripped me apart and glued me back together.

This Gut-wrenching novel follows two young Japanese students: A nameless fourteen-year-old boy and his female classmate, Kojima. Both share the cruel fate of being relentlessly bullied by their classmates, enduring brutal ordeals day after day. As the two become friends, the book raises questions about the nature of hate, violence, bullying, and pain, while also showing us the pair trying to find their own answers to these questions. Similarly to one of her other novels, 'Breasts and Eggs' Mieko Kawakami has posed questions and has given us different answers to big questions, while giving us room to form our own opinions and conclusions. All of that while having it still feel natural and realistic (which is a craft Kawakami seems to have mastered). Without spoiling anything, this book is truly Gut-wrenching, with some of the most graphic scenes I’ve read in recent memory. The book is disgusting and frustrating at times, but not without any reason. In fact, through these scenes, that paint pictures of hate, blood and pure suffering, it also outlines the joys and beauty of life that exist beyond all the suffering. To wrap this up, this book is not for everyone but, In my opinion, deserves anyone's attention. For exaple it contains extreme violence, both physical and psychological and suicidal thoughts, however, if you are not too triggered by that, I can only recommend this. Like I said, this book isn’t just pure suffering. It is reminding us of the darkness, but is using it to give us a reason to keep going too. Truly a modern masterpiece, with an amazing narrative and a timeless, powerful message. In my opinion, It definitely deserves 5/5 stars and If you’ve made it to the end of this, please consider reading the novel!!

Mir hat Heaven wirklich sehr gerne gefallen. Der Schreibstil ist klar und strukturiert, das Buch ist nicht dick und ich habe es in kürzester Zeit durchgelesen. Mir haben die langen Dialoge sehr gefallen, auch die verschiedenen Beschreibungen im Buch waren sehr gut. Kawakami spricht mit diesem Roman ein sehr wichtiges Thema an, ich fand es erschreckend zu lesen, was in der Schule mit den beiden Protagonisten alles gemacht wurde. Sowas tut weh und ich verstehe nicht, wie Kinder so grausam sein können. Mobbing wird wohl leider nie aus den Schulen verschwinden, deswegen ist gerade so eine Literatur so wichtig. Leider gibt es nur vier Sterne, weil das Ende sehr unbefriedigend war. Ich habe mir etwas anderes gewünscht. Trotzdem kann ich das Buch nur jedem empfehlen.