This was a heart-warming yet sad story. I thought this story would be slow to read, but I'm surprised how fast I completed the book. I liked how the story handles a couple of serious topics without being too dreary or too blah. The way it was approached reminds me of Caitlin Doughty's Ask A Mortician web videos. The message of the book shows death as something that happens (with or without warning) and it's sad and it's also okay to not feel okay and cry your heart out. Another important message was living your life to fullest doesn't mean doing anything extravagant, it means to do the things you enjoy even if it's simple like eating at a ramen stand. One another important lesson the book has is to talk about your feelings or worries to your loved ones before it's too late. I felt the story did an excellent job of providing those messages without being a super sentimental after school special.
I really loved Sakura and her sense of humor. I admit a few of her comments made me smile. The main character also seems like a fun person to hang out with (Bookstore trip? Yes, please.) I admit Kyoko was a hard character to sympathize at first, but she eventually grew on me.
I highly recommend this book.
