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Fantastic Simple Slice of Life Great for Inexperienced Readers
This was a fantastic little story about a woman who goes to 八丈島, a tiny island in the middle of the ocean that's technically part of Toyko. I had no idea about this island but the sense of place was so nicely done that this story made me was to go visit it someday!
The story itself isn't anything spectacular, but I think the author did a fantastic job revealing the scenes and events at a comfortable pace. Too often Japanese novels will dump you with information, interrupting the flow of the story. But I think this flowed incredibly nicely and the hints to Kawase's backstory and motivation to coming to the island was really done.
Don't read the blurb though! I'm honestly annoyed the blurb ruins the mystery a little. If it hadn't been for the blurb I think I would have enjoyed this story even more.
As for Japanese level, I'd say this is great for N3-N2 level learners looking to dip their toes into Japanese novels. The writing isn't complex and the scenes are very clear, but it still uses a lot of advanced vocabulary and kanji that you see all the time in novels.