I loved this book. It was difficult and so good. It was beautiful and weaves in just a bit of magic/spiritualism, although not enough probably to call the book magical realism. It’s more just weaving in that part of Japanese culture, I think. It is a heartbreaking book. Exquisitely crafted, the story and characters will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

Revolving around three main characters, Miwako, an independent private college girl, Ryesei who want to be her boyfriend, and his sister Fumi. Set mainly in Tokyo, the reader knows from the beginning that Miwako is troubled. She doesn’t want attachments to people. Ryesei and Fumi grew up in an orphanage. Both Miwako and Fumi have pasts which have shaped their current lives. Fumi is stuck in a body with which she can’t identify. Born male, she is a tall, beautiful female artist, who is a hostess at a bar at night. Slowly, slowly the background of the two are revealed. We may know from the first page that Miwako has taken her own life, but it’s not until the end of the book that we discover why. If you are looking for a moral, the saying “Be kind to people because you don’t know what they are going through” describes this book. When I read the author was Indonesian from Singapore, I was surprised she had captured the style of many Japanese novels, lean, crisp and direct.

When his friends ask him out for a date to have equal numbers of boys and girls, Ryusei is not too keen. But then he meets Miwako and immediately falls for the peculiar girl who is not stunningly attractive and even overtly harsh. They soon find out that they actually have a lot in common, they spend more and more time together and Miwako befriends Ryusei’s older sister Fumi-nee. Even though they become inseparable, they are not a couple, there is something holding Miwako back from really getting attached to the student who adores her. The secret lies in her past but she isn’t ready to tell it. Yet, the moment of confession never comes, she commits suicide before she can explain herself and thus leaves Ryusei and her friends behind wondering what lead her to this drastic step.

“The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida” is a complex study of characters who carry secrets they never want to come out, but which have a deep impact on their personality and behaviour. The main plot centres around the question what lead Miwako to this drastic decision of ending her life. Ryusei, their common friend Chie and also Fumi-nee all have some bits and pieces of knowledge of her, but they cannot put them together to understand the girl. All their perspectives are presented only for the reader to get the whole picture of a deeply disturbed and suffering character.

It is not only Miwako who is interesting in her way of coping with grief and life’s strokes of fate. Ryusei and his sister became orphans at a young age leaving the older girl in charge of her brother and renouncing her own dreams to take care of him. However, the fact that she herself struggled with life and the question of her identity made Miwako open up to her and revealing her secret because she sensed that both their stories were none to be told easily.

Even though a lot of very dire topics are addressed and all the characters have to endure much from the world around them, it is all but a depressing read. For quite some time, they try to cope with their respective situation alone, but just by opening their eyes and having a bit of trust, they could see that there are people around them who are sensitive and emphatic.

Just as the characters, the novel also takes some time to fully unfold and display its strength.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Some books stay with you long after you turn the last page, and this is one of those books for me.

Set mostly in Tokyo after Miwako Sumida, the titular character in this book, dies by suicide, we follow the stories of the three people closest to her. Each one has a story that brings us closer to understanding Miwako’s sudden, tragic, and unexpected death.

Told with complexity and sensitivity, this book takes readers on a journey that has several surprising twists in the last few pages. Amid the tragic story of Miwako’s death, the book leaves the characters in the book—as well as readers—with plenty of hope.

Well written novel taking place in Japan, challenges the reader to understand Miwako. When we meet Miwako and her friends, there is little clue as to what has happened in her past and how that will impact Ryusei, who has fallen in love with Miwako, and his sister Fumi, who has secrets of her own. It is hard to describe this book but I highly recommend it. There are some mystical elements that enrich the story, as does the quality of writing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Interesting story, but somehow I find it hard to like it. Most of the characters feel pretty bland, with the exception of Ryusei's sister, Fumi. Perhaps I'm just not the targeted reader for this book.

This book unfortunately just wasn't for me. I thought Clarissa Goenawan's descriptions and writing style was very interesting and thought provoking. I enjoyed the characters of Miwako, Chie, and Fumi-nee, and I loved the discussion of different aspects of Japanese culture. I just had a few substantial issues with parts of the plot and the messages it portrayed. I'm going to post a more comprehensive review (probably with spoilers) on my Goodreads if anyone else wants to know more about my thoughts.

Clarissa Goenawan deserves to have a much bigger following than she currently has. In Both her first novel, Rainbirds, and her second, The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida, she shows a talent for painting complex portraits of characters who carry a burden of uncertainty—about identity, about their own life stories, about the stories of those they love. This results in a sort of tentativeness in her writing, but it's a tentativeness that engages and opens possibilities, not one that creates distance or disengagement.

The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida follows three different characters trying to understand the suicide of the Miwako of the title. Each of them has parts of the picture, but none of them has the whole. By telling their stories, Goenawan lets readers assemble a portrait of Miwako that's beyond the reach of the book's main characters.

I strongly recommend this book for all readers who enjoy cosmopolitan novels (this one is set mainly in Tokyo), mysteries, and/or psychological portraits. The rewards it offers are immense.

Beautiful if sad novel about love, grief and family. I really liked this book, I read it in two days. For readers who love Murakami’s Norwegian Wood and the works of Banana Yoshimoto.

This novel is perfect in its simplicity and smooth writing style. I read it in under 24hrs and savored every moment. It was beautifully composed and a real pleasure to read. If you liked Goenawan’s first book, you will for sure love this one. The story is very powerful and touching. The characters are unique, but quite relatable. The author is very talented when it comes to setting a mood and vibe. When you read her words, you are transported.