Heaven: Mieko Kawakami

Mieko Kawakami is always ceaselessly growing and evolving.' Haruki Murakami, author of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles

Told through the eyes of a 14 year-old boy subjected to relentless bullying, this is a haunting novel of the threat of violence that can stalk our teenage years.

Instead of putting up resistance, the boy suffers in complete resignation. His sole friend is a female classmate suffering a similar treatment at the hands of bullies at the school. They meet in secret in the hopes of avoiding any further attention but their relationship has not gone unnoticed. One day the two are drawn to a deserted park and unwittingly walk straight into the hands of their tormentors.

Kawakami's deceptively simple yet profound work stands as a testament to her remarkable literary talent. Here she asks us to question the fate of the meek in a society that favours the strong, and the lengths that even children will go in their learned cruelty. Perfect for fans of Édouard Louis or Yoko Ogawa.