Heaven: A Novel

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE


"A raw, painful, and tender portrait of adolescent misery... This book is very likely to make you cry."--Lily Meyer, NPR


With profound tenderness and sensitivity, Japanese literary superstar Mieko Kawakami turns her unique gaze onto the causes and effects of violence. Raw but revelatory, this novel stands as a dazzling confirmation of Kawakami's standing as one of her country's most insightful and compelling novelists.


In Heaven, a shy high-school student is subjected to bullying from his classmates and the only person capable of understanding his ordeal is a young classmate who suffers similar treatment at the hands of her tormentors. Each finds in the other a unique sensibility capable of offering not only solace but also a fresh perspective on their predicaments.

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Published Aug 16, 2022

176 pages

Average rating: 6.22

9 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

linneareads
May 18, 2025
9/10 stars
It altered my brain chemistry. I really loved it; it was such a perfect novel. I kept reading it; there was no stopping me from completing this book in a day. It was addictive.
toriiworld
Mar 09, 2025
6/10 stars
I was waiting for things to get better

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