Hi everyone! Recently, I re-read one of my favorite books, Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata. This book shows the gut wrenching story of Katie and her older sister, Lynn.
Kira-kira is a word in Japanese that means “glittering” and that is how Lynn saw the whole world. From the sky and the stars to the sea and the oceans. Katie, who learned the word from her sister, loved it and used it to describe everything. Lynn and Katie had a very close relationship, they would do everything together. Katie admired Lynn so much because she thought of her as perfect. She would get good grades, she was kind, her hair was beautiful, etc. Katie loved everything about her sister and Lynn loved everything about Katie. Katie and her family had to move to Georgia because her parent’s store was going out of business. Lynn had a hard time fitting in and making friends so she spent most of her time with Katie, which Katie loved. After about a year of living in Georgia, Katie’s mother gave birth to a boy and they named him Samson. All three children had a tight connection with each other and they all took care of each other, but Katie loved taking care of Sam (Samson) since he was her little brother. Unfortunately, Lynn started to get really sick and wasn’t able to hang out with Katie as much anymore. Later on, it was shown that Lynn had cancer and was slowly getting worse and worse. Katie’s parents were having to work almost constantly just to keep up with the medical bills. As Lynn gets worse and worse and Katie doesn’t get to see her parents as much, she feels as though her whole world is falling apart and she cannot do anything about it.
This book shows the terrible reality of living in the lower class, being in debt, and experiencing racism. Katie, a young girl who cannot do anything for her family, feels so helpless and sad because her lifelong role model is losing her sparkle right in front of her.
I loved this book because it shows clearly the thoughts of how a young child would process all of this. Katie feels confused, scared, unsure, and happy at multiple points of this book and it really adds to the overall story.
Like I said before, this is my second time reading this book and it was definitely worth it. If you are interested in sad or heartbreaking books, this is definitely a good choice for you. I hope this review encourages you to read this book and experience the roller coaster of emotions that this book puts you through, even if it is from the perspective of a young, little girl who doesn’t know much about what is truly going on in her own life.
-Sofia
Wow, this sounds like a very interesting book. I love the detail that Lynn sees the whole world as 'glittering.' I think it is cool how the story seems to be told from the eyes of a somewhat unreliable narrator. I'm curious how that will affect the overall way that the story is told. Thanks for this great recommendation.
ReplyDeleteYour introduction was amazing and it really motivated me to keep on reading, and you told the story so well. However, I was a little spoken when you said that she had to deal with being in a lower class, being in debt, and racism right after an introduction that seemingly only showcased their connection; maybe there could've been a better transition to there. But other than that, this review has really captivated and expressed the book uniquely, great review!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a very good book, despite how sad it is. What is the age difference of Katie and Lynn? Are they close in age, and if so do you think that this contributes to them being extremely close?
ReplyDeleteIt is so wholesome that Lynn looks at the world and sees it as "glittering". The point of view of the narrator definitely would affect how this story is told as she is young and feels scared and confused. This seems like such a good read, even though it is really sad. I'll definitely check it out soon!
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