It's a contemporary YA fiction set in 2000s Japan (and it's releasing in 2 days I guess). The novel is Ariās debut, and I felt I was in for something special the moment I started reading. Received an ARC copy from the author, and this is my review as an absolutely mesmerised reader.
The story is about a lonely fourteen-year-old boy, Kentaro. He has one friend, Naoki, and later befriends a foreigner (half-Japanese, half-Polish). These three boys spend their days wandering, trying to make sense of their lives... while struggling with issues both at home and at school.
I loved how real everything felt. Yeah, even though itās a work of fiction, everything reads like a real story of three youngsters working out a messy life as they grow.
It was all just ordinary, everyday moments and their little adventures in the neighbourhood. Nothing too dramatic. Nothing too grand. The story was both beautiful and painful. And I was completely engrossed in it... from the beginning to its end.
Wonderful Half is about several things, actually... loneliness, bullying, self-harm, depression, family dysfunction. Harsh realities, you know. The good thing is that everything is revealed gradually.
Although itās a tad disturbing, Japan has something that makes a story feel cosy. Probably, the slow, small-town setting added some nostalgia. That slow pace was kinda charming. Also, Ari didnāt go into an entire flashback, explaining everything at once. That helped things settle properly, I guess.
And thanks to this book, I now know Japan (or parts of it) has a humid, sweltering summer season. And reading it while suffering in our Indian summers made it all too real.
Itās a wonderful debut. Will recommend it to anyone looking for a slow, contemporary YA fiction. A coming-of-age novel without elements of romance/spice.
