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Cover of Heaven by Mieko KawakamiHeaven
Modern · Fiction, Young Adult, Literary Fiction

Heaven

by Mieko Kawakami
2009 · 167 pages · Fiction
Critics' pick
≈ 4 hours to read · about 8 days at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

A 14-year-old boy, relentlessly tormented at school for his lazy eye, chooses to suffer in complete resignation. The only person who understands is a girl in his class who's tormented too.

Why it's worth reading

It was a finalist for the International Booker Prize.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

Its scenes of bullying are hard to read.

By the numbers

58.7Must-Read Score
  • Readers19 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics27 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller27 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz26 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Shortlisted
International Booker Prize finalist (2022)

Reads as

Moving

How we rank

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Explore the best-of lists

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Quick answers

Is Heaven worth reading?

Yes. It was a finalist for the International Booker Prize. It ranks #2,650 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 58.7 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Heaven about?

A 14-year-old boy, relentlessly tormented at school for his lazy eye, chooses to suffer in complete resignation. The only person who understands is a girl in his class who's tormented too.

How long does it take to read Heaven?

About 4 hours (167 pages), or about 8 days at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Heaven?

If you liked it, try The Vegetarian by Han Kang, Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata or The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.