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?
Unflinching yet tender, sharply observed, intimate and multi-layered, this simple yet profound novel stands as yet another dazzling testament to Mieko Kawakami's uncontainable talent. There can be little doubt that it has cemented her reputation as one of the most important young authors at work today.
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One day toward the end of April, between classes, I unzipped my pencil case and found a folded triangle of paper between the pencils. CHAPTER ONE
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(@picadorbooks, 10 June 2021, first published 2 September 2009, ebook, 192 pages, borrowed from @GlasgowLib via @BorrowBox)
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I really loved this book. It's a short read but felt likes something much denser. I really connected with the characters as I was also bullied in school. I loved the way the secret friendship between both characters develops with them passing notes to each other and meeting in private, unwilling to give the bullies any more ammunition. I found this an incredibly sad book, especially the bullying which is quite violent at times. There is a lot left unsaid especially Kojima's fate after a particularly shocking incident. I cried a lot reading this.
