📖Novel of the Week: You Shine in the Moonlight Night (君は月夜に光り輝く) by Sano Tetsuya

2 days ago was the release date for this novel's movie adaptation here in Japan and, coincidentially, it was also the release date for "Five Feet Apart", an American movie with similar themes...
So, here's my review and thoughts, let me know what you think!

Watarase Mamizu has luminescence disease and she has been hospitalized ever since middle school. One day, Okada Takuya, who's supposed to be one of her high school's classmate visits her and gives her a joint "get well soon" letter from the class.

Okada is a quiet and kind of apathetic teenager, with no particular passions and only a close friend, Kayama Akira. So when he was asked to go to the hospital and give the letter to a girl he've only heard of, he's not particularly concerned...little he knew that Mamizu was about to turn his life upside-down.

Mamizu is well aware she's not going to be discharged from the hospital anytime soon; as a matter of fact, doctors are amazed that she managed to live this long, but her is an illness still without cure, so it's just a matter of time before the inevitable...that's why Mamizu made a list of "things she wanted to do before diying"...and she wants Takuya to do them for her.

Among the things she wanted to do before she died, which she wanted me to do one after another, there were plenty that made me want to ask "Did you really want to do that before you died? You're not just coming up with things and enjoying watching me suffer, are you?

From going to an amusement park to wait in an all-night queue for the newest smartphone or working in a maid cafè, at first her requests were pretty strange, but as soon as they become close Mamizu starts asking for more meaningful and deeper favours...

👍👎My Thoughts

Immediately caught by its cover, I decided to read the book  and was very surprised how quickly I got into it: I liked how spontaneously the two protagonists became friends and even if some attitudes, dialogues and way of thinking were a bit odd to me (but hey, Japan!) the story flows smoothly and we get to see how much Takuya changes.

His relationship with Kayama is also kind of strange, they don't talk much nor they hang out, but still they're bond with each other thanks for their older siblings and an avoided accident that happened to Takuya.

Compared to "Socrates in Love", this novel is a bit darker and it felt like that Mamizu, under her bright personality and cocky talkings, resigned herself about her fate a long ago...
This is a sad story, but still has some humourism and gives amazing food for thought.

My vote: 8/10

Related Books & Movies 

Socrates In Love by Kyōichi Katayama - my review HERE

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - my review HERE

Cure it with Books and Movies - Terminal Illnesses / Cancer - HERE

The Fundamentals of Caring - my review HERE

Everything Everything - my review HERE

5 Feet Apart

Midnight Sun
Let Me Eat Your Pancreas (君の膵臓をたべたい)

Ph: goodreads.com