February 1, 2021
Gr 9 Up-Translated to English for the first time, Mori's award-winning novel will inspire and engage teens to look at their life from a new perspective. The story begins with a lost soul meeting a psychopomp shortly after its body's death. The psychopomp offers the soul an incredible gift, saying he's the winner of a lottery. Apparently, he committed a monumental transgression while alive, resulting in his expulsion from the reincarnation cycle. However, thanks to the lottery, the soul will be tested and given a chance to rejoin the reincarnation cycle. The soul is transported into a high schooler's body. After facing the possibility of an eternity of misery, the soul is absolutely delighted to have a chance to be alive again. After learning his host body was suicidal, the soul is shocked and cannot understand why the high schooler felt so depressed and overwhelmed. Although his life isn't perfect, the soul finds much to be grateful for. The soul also learns that everything he feels is connected and that the people in life make living more enjoyable. Learning to appreciate a person's faults along with their positive attributes allows the soul to appreciate how colorful life is. VERDICT A good addition to any collection, especially one where translations are popular.-Melanie Leivers, Burnsville, MN
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 31, 2021
A bestseller in Japan after its 1998 publication, Mori’s philosophically uplifting coming-of-age tale begins as a formless soul is intercepted by an angel, informed that they’ve done something that would ordinarily preclude reincarnation, and offered a second chance. If this recently deceased soul occupies someone else’s body for a time and learns from its mistakes, it will have the opportunity to regain its memories and reenter the cycle of rebirth. The body in question is that of 14-year-old Makoto Kobayashi, who has recently attempted suicide, is friendless, and is despised by his family. But Makoto thrives when creating works of art, and the soul, too, soon uses drawing and painting as a way to connect with its host and those around him. Themes of gratitude and the acceptance—and even celebration—of human imperfections guide the soul’s journey back to itself as it learns the value of, among other things, recognizing one’s parents as complicated, flawed individuals. Mori’s novel is both life-affirming and, in Allen’s translation, quietly funny, offering readers a timeless perspective on human connections.
May 15, 2021
God offers a condemned spirit a new lease on life. In Japanese author Mori's U.S. debut, a dead soul has forgotten his mortal existence and is drifting toward oblivion when an angel named Prapura appears in his path. Though the soul committed a "grave error" during his time on Earth that would normally trigger his removal from the cycle of rebirth, Prapura's boss has randomly selected him for a do-over. For the next year, the soul will inhabit the body of Makoto Kobayashi--a 14-year-old who just died of an intentional overdose. (Prapura will provide information and assistance when needed, provided he's in the mood.) If the soul makes sufficient progress, he'll regain his own memories, and if he's then able to acknowledge the enormity of his mistake, he'll vacate Makoto and move on with a clean slate. At first, the newly resurrected Makoto falls into the same dark rut as his predecessor: His grades are terrible, he has no friends, and he regards his family with disdain. But when Makoto's parents and older brother open up to him about their own struggles and admit how profoundly his suicide attempt affected them, his conception of the world begins to change. Naoki Prize winner Mori tackles a fraught topic with empathy, humor, and grace. The soul's wry narration keeps the tone light while the simple yet powerful plot beautifully illustrates the impact that perspective can have on one's mental health. An uplifting tale about the kaleidoscopic nature of the human soul.
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June 1, 2021
"I want to write a novel that will allow young people who are tired of living to have a break from their own lives." This is the starting point for Mori's tale, first published in Japan in 1998 and now a classic. Issues challenging Japanese teens then--"Bullying. Dropping out. Suicide."--continue to find international resonance as, nimbly translated by Allen, the best-seller's arrival marks Mori's stateside debut. An unattached soul has "won the lottery!": the chance at a do-over after he (his gender for now, anyway) made "a pretty serious mistake." To avoid removal from the cycle of rebirth, he reanimates 14-year-old Makoto Kobayashi, who died from an overdose of sleeping pills. Guided by angel Prapura, this new Makoto begins a strange "homestay," relearning relationships with a "painfully self-serving" father, an adulterous mother, and a bullying older brother. But are they really that awful? Makoto's name couldn't be more prescient--it means truth--as he discerns what really happened. An author-described "serious subject with a comical touch," the novel has spawned films, anime, manga, and more. It's also saved lives--undoubtedly storytelling's superpower.
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