Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Goenawan's novel is a complex and captivating story that seamlessly blends a supernatural tinge with a realistic setting and characters. It is set in Tokyo in the late 1980s/early 1990s and follows the intertwined lives of three protagonists, Ryusei, Chie, and Fumi, as they deal with the unexpected death of their friend Miwako Sumida.

Goenawan's writing vividly depicts the inner lives of the characters, their hopes and dreams, and the pathos of their individual struggles. The story is enhanced by the shifting perspectives, with each chapter narrated by one of the characters and then by another. This gives us a better understanding of the characters' motivations by providing insight into their emotions and the events that have shaped their lives.

The novel also dabbles in the supernatural, as Miwako's ghost appears in the story, adding an unsettling element. Goenawan, on the other hand, manages to keep the supernatural elements subtle, allowing the story to remain grounded in reality and focusing on the characters and their relationships.

The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida is a thought-provoking and powerful read. The plot is interesting and well-written, the characters are vivid and believable, and the setting is atmospheric. Goenawan does an excellent job of exploring themes of grief, love, and loss, and the novel will linger in your mind long after you have finished it.

Loved that this was written in three different parts, from three different perspectives and think these flowed together seamlessly. The writing style is brilliant and you really get a sense of who each character is.

The subject matter is hard hitting and there are definite trigger warnings, but the book is written so well and really shows the impact of suicide on different people.

A slightly off-kilter read that explores the live left behind when a young woman kills herself. Told from the perspectives of those closest to her in the aftermath, this novel very cleverly weaves past and present to build up a full picture of her life. My only issue with this book is that it deadnames the trans character in a flashback.

Sorry, thought I had reviewed this before.... Perfect for fans of Japanese literature. It's a little harrowing at times a slow reveal of someone different to the someone everyone thought they knew.

I adore Studio Ghibli. Some of my favourites like “My Neighbour Totoro” and “Only Yesterday” blend magical realism with the slice-of-life so effortlessly. They have a knack to make the supernatural look good, sweet even, and make you believe.

The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida felt straight out of a Ghibli universe. High school kids? Check. A rural setting? Check. Emotional upheaval and hope? Check. The story begins with Miwako Sumida’s death by suicide but it’s the beginning of a bittersweet journey through memories for her three close friends – Chie, Ryusei and his sister Fumi. The novel has 3 parts each revolving around one character. We get to know more about them and about Miwako in these sections in a Rashomon-like way.

Clarissa Goenawan’s prose has an ethereal quality to it. I gently floated along as the story unfolds bit by bit, layer by layer. The pace reminds me of one of my favourite books “The Guest Cat” by Takashi Hiraide where you’re unable to tear your eyes away from the story and yet not in a frantic, “I-want-to-know-what-happens-next” kind of way.

It continues at this pace until the last section belonging to Fumi. I felt like something was missing here. The lucent prose that had held me in its thrall until then faded. The even flow is disrupted and gets a little choppy. We get to know some answers, but the agency of those answers left me wanting more. I also wish I knew more about Fumi, who, I felt, was the least developed but most interesting character.

I guess in an average book all of these might’ve been fine. But Goenawan had raised my expectations considerably with everything being pitch perfect until then. Still, I say take that ride. Drift along. There’s much to be savoured in this radiant work. I loved it so much that I went and got Goenawan’s earlier book “Rainbirds.”

Thank you to Scribe UK for the copy.

The story opens in the mountainside forest where Miwako Sumida took her life, setting the scene for the need to unravel her past and understand what lead to this single event.

The book is split into 3 parts, the first (and probably the most enjoyable) told through the eyes Ryusei who she attends college with. He tells of his meeting with Miwako, their friendship and his unrequited love. Then, Miwako's friend, Chie, gives some further background from high school, revealing more of Miwako's veiled past and perhaps a little more understanding into the mysterious mind of Miwako. During this part of the story, Chie and Ryu set off to the mountain village where Miwako spent the last few months of her life. Finally, the story turns to Fumi (Ryusei's sister and friend & employer to Miwako) and a strange guest she takes in to her home.

I really enjoyed reading this, and although a definite page turner, the pace was gentle as the real Miwako Sumida was slowly revealed.

The book deals sensitively with many topics, including suicide and it's inevitable repercussions, family, gender identity & bullying.

The simplified plot of this book is Miwado Sumida a college student travels to a remote village and subsequently commits suicide, leaving her friends reeling although it is so much more than this. The book is written in 3 parts from 3 different perspectives and contains an aspect of magical realism near the end.

I thought the novel and how it deals grief was brilliant. The writing is beautiful and everything is very vividly described. The lgbt aspect was done very well- I find authors tend to make an lgbt characters sexuality their main personality trait but this is not what happens here. All the characters are complex and well written, I particularly loved Ryusei who narrates part 1 of the novel.

This is the story not only of Miwako Sumida, but also of Ryusei who falls into a deep unreciprocated love with Miwako; and Fumi, Ryusei's older sister who is all but critical to the story as slowly discover why Miwako dies.

I found this to be a highly enjoyable read. If you're a Murakami fan, this would be one you'd enjoy. There are a lot of similarities with writing style and content but not too similar that it comes across as a copycat style. I quite liked all the characters in the book, especially our main three. They all had rich and layered backstories and they were all developed and written very strongly.

I have seen other great reviews that are mindful of the author's Indonesian-born, Singaporean ethnicity, writing a book set in Japan using characters of Japanese descent during a time of strong discussion and heightened awareness of #ownvoices. As a huge reader and fan of Japanese literature, I really enjoyed this but remain mindful of various facets that have been raised as questionable by other readers.

This was a good book, however, I have read over half of it and keep feeling uninterested. I don't think its the books fault, the story is quiet but not boring and the writing is good, I just don't believe it is the book for me right now. I look forward to recommending it to other people who I think will enjoy it though.

The story was very effecting but I found the writing style overly clunky--I'd be interested to read the author's other works as it seemed like this was just a a one-off.

I really loved this book. It starts as some kind of coming-of-age story, where two people meet and get to know (and love) each other. But this is all happening in flashbacks. In the present, Miwako Sumida has hanged herself. Why, her friends don't know. So they try to find out.

THE PERFECT WORLD OF MIWAKO SUMIDA alternates between the present and flashbacks from Miwako's and the other character's past. We follow the stories from the view of Yanagi, who is deeply in love with her and crushed when he finds out she killed herself. He starts to gather information about her and her possible motif, but he doesn't acquire much. The second part of the book is told from Chie's view, Miwakos sort-of best friend. She knows a lot more than Yanagi, but she can't share--at least not yet. Chie and Yanagi set off to the distant village where Miwako spent her last days, to find closure of some sort.

The last part tells a whole different story. At first I was afraid that this might let the main story drift away, but that didn't happen. Instead, we follow past Yanagi's sister. We relive her childhood, her growing up and her adolescence. A fascinating story which seems disconnected from the whole book, but also very close. A strange feeling.

This book was a quiet, melancholic and extremely enjoyable experience. I'm looking forward to anything that comes out of Clarissa Goenawan's mind next.

I was going to do a mini-review on this book but turns out I had pleanty to say. Clarissa Goenawan has been on my radar since Rainbirds, which for some reason I haven't picked up yet. The plot reminds me a bit of Little Gods by Meng Jin, in which the main character has died and we get to know her through the eyes of the people who used to be close to her - and I suspect reading Little Gods just a few days before this made for an unfair comparison and hindered my enjoyment of Miwako Sumida.

I found the writing a bit dry and distanced, the dialogue unconvincing and the characters themselves did not shine enough to provoke the emotional punch I would expect from a story as dark and heartbreaking as this one. The pacing was also a bit off and I was supremely bored at times and then hooked again.

With three narrators and each one focusing on their own lives plus how they were connected to Miwako and the things she kept secret, the story felt a bit too crowded. One of the main characters, Fumi, is a trans woman, and I am not so sure about the treatment of the main trans character Fumi, her representation left me feeling like it could've been done in a better way (for example, I saw no reason to deadname her, or why her brother felt the need to "unburden" himself on the girl he liked by telling her this "secret"). I think there was an attempt to give depth and make this a multilayered, poignant story by having so many narrators, but the result is a rambling story that took too long.

Still, this was an intriguing read and I appreciate what the author did in terms of twists and making the reader see how easily we misread others and how little we know. The mystery was definitely well-done and I appreciate that the author attempted to tackle so many difficult topics - I think the writing and the choice of narrators will work for some readers.

Absolutely stunning look into the complexities of identity, grief and friendship. Goenawan writes so naturally that everything flows so seamlessly and I couldn't put it down.

The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida is written in three parts from three different perspectives. I appreciated the subtleties of Geonawan's writing style as each character felt real and grounded as their part in the story unfolds and the overall image of Miwako is defined. During each act or part the timeline does jump but it was never jarring which really speaks to Goenawan's talent.

I only take away from the five stars because of a certain element in part three that felt a little unnatural in the form but was still handled very well.

This one is quite a hard one to review. It is a fantastic character study, although the titular characters story is tragic. The writing is great and really draws you into the story.

Emotional, beautiful and pulled me in from the start.
I absolutely loved this book. It was a page turner for sure.
The characters were all well written and I found myself transported into their world.
At times heartbreaking, this book is definitely worth reading.

Fantastic work of fiction!
If you like Japanese literature á la Murakami you should pick this one up.
I can't wait for more from this author 🙂

“Miwako Sumida is dead. Now those closest to her try to piece together the fragments of her life.”

•thank you to Scribe for letting me read this book :)
I was really intrigued by it straight away and the fact the story is set in Japan sold it to me.
The storyline is gripping, intense and intriguing. I found all the characters to be interesting and well developed. Even though it took me a bit longer than planned to get through it, I really wanted to find out what happened to all of them as I got more and more attached to their storylines.
The different relationships in this book show the importance of supporting the people around you, family and friends. The inclusion of lgbt characters made it even more wonderful and touching.
I was really surprised by the use of different POV and was not too sure about it at first but it turned out to be one of my favourite aspect of the book. We get to understand the characters better, as well as their thought process and their intentions towards other characters.

•however, the storyline is heavy and could definitely do with trigger warnings ! Some serious topics are brought up and the author did a great job writing about them, nonetheless it is clearly best to be prepared before getting into it as it could be very disturbing for some people (I know I found it hard to read sometimes).

A wonderfully tender and beautiful look at the life of Miwako and those around her. This book delicately looks at the impacts of sometimes tiny actions on ourselves and each others. Sensitive topics such as suicide, sexual assault, LGBTQ+ issues, unwanted pregnancy and abortion are all touched upon.
While I loved the writing style I did want a little bit more from the characters and could have easily read another 100pages so the book could go a little deeper.

3.5(rounded to 4)/5

I enjoyed reading this book, but in my opinion it was unbalanced. The first 1/3 told by Ryu was very good and convincing, definitely 4 stars. I would give 3 stars to the rest of this novel. Even though Fumi's story is interesting and I liked her as a character, I found the ghost bit far-fetched and not very well written. Chie's story was nothing special, just OK.
Thank you Scribe and Netgalley for the ARC