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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Sustained physical and psychological bullying throughout; the violence is specific and unrelenting
Language
Barely any
Mild language throughout
Sexual Content
None
No sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Strong psychological content: sustained bullying and its effects, the philosophy of endurance that one character develops, and the question of whether suffering can be given meaning
What this book is about
Two fourteen-year-olds in Japan — a boy with a lazy eye and a girl named Kojima — bond through secret notes as they both endure sustained, severe bullying. The bullying is physical and psychological, specific and unrelenting. As Kojima develops a philosophy for surviving their torment, the boy must decide whether her philosophy is wisdom or self-deception. Mieko Kawakami's novel is unflinching about what bullying looks like and the desperate frameworks children construct to survive it.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Sustained and specific bullying throughout
A philosophy of endurance that may be unhealthy — the novel examines this critically
Reader Verification
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