About the book
A nostalgic coming-of-age story about friendship, loneliness and growing up in small-town Japan.
Kentaro has learned that life is easier when nobody notices him. Struggling at home, he spends most of his time with his only friend, Naoki, and dreams of growing up and vanishing into Osaka.
At the end of the rainy season, a half-Japanese boy, Akira, appears in the small town. Curious about the foreigner, Kentaro takes an interest in him, only to decide he is odd and not worth his time. Yet as the sweltering summer drags on, Akira keeps attaching himself to Kentaro and Naoki, and a reluctant friendship begins to take shape.
One night, fleeing an unstable situation at home and with nowhere else to go, Kentaro ends up at Akira’s door. In the safety of Akira’s room, the boys share things they have never told anyone before. The more time Kentaro spends with Akira, the wider his world becomes. Places that once seemed out of reach no longer feel quite so distant. But Akira remains difficult to understand, and the scars from his life in Europe grow harder to ignore.
By the end of the summer, Akira finally opens up about his past, leaving Kentaro to decide whether he wants somebody like Akira as a friend at all.
What Readers Are Saying
Ari Ryn has a beautiful way of writing emotions. The story handles difficult subjects with care and empathy, allowing the reader to connect deeply with the characters without ever feeling manipulated. By the end, I wasn’t just attached to the characters—I felt like I had grown alongside them. For a debut novel, this is incredibly impressive, and I’ll definitely be looking forward to whatever Ari Ryn writes next.
This was such a deeply emotional read… The rawness, vulnerability, openness & honesty making them extremely “human” w/ their flaws & personalities are tackled upon in the novel & I personally was astounded as to how “real” it felt : the feelings of loneliness, depression, building friendship, identity as well as communication struggles – every single thing that an adolescent experiences at least once in their life.
I picked this up because the premise sounded interesting, but what kept me reading was how real it felt. The characters actually sounded like teenagers, and all the little details made it feel like I was spending time with real people instead of fictional characters… The writing feels so specific and lived-in that it almost reads like memories at times…
For a first time author Ryn’s writing, character and place descriptions were excellent. What impressed me was Ryn’s ability to bring out the feelings of the characters in me as the reader… Ryn’s delving into the feelings and self examination of adolescent boys is so personal that it brought back my feelings at age 14 and that would be hard to do to a 78 year old man…
I loved how real everything felt. Yeah, even though it’s a work of fiction, everything reads like a real story of three youngsters working out a messy life as they grow. It was all just ordinary, everyday moments and their little adventures in the neighbourhood. Nothing too dramatic. Nothing too grand. The story was both beautiful and painful. And I was completely engrossed in it… from the beginning to its end.
This book feels like when you woke up in the right side of the bed and made tea or coffee and watch the sun’s glow through the leaves of the trees…calming. I think this is a nice book to read if you just want a peaceful read after a heavy read.
What really shone was the writing. Ryn’s ability to toss in the most minor of details – bugs falling from street lamps, dead leaves clumped around rock, whether or not a potted plant has been watered today – and somehow make it seem so vital to the story is genuinely incredible. Everything was so atmospheric and nostalgic and real. The tiny observations were so relatable and the way the friendship evolved from simply not wanting to be rude to actively caring about that person’s happiness felt so organic.
This is a story with significant value for schools, libraries, and counselling settings. Its themes of acceptance, identity, and emotional honesty make it an excellent resource for boys who feel different or misunderstood, as well as for those learning to understand others. It would also make a strong book club selection, offering plenty to discuss and reflect on.
There’s no sensationalism here. Ari Ryn never tries to manipulate the reader into feeling sorry for the characters. Instead, he simply presents their reality, and that’s what makes the novel so difficult to forget. Is this the most compelling or captivating novel I’ve read this year? Probably not. Is it one of the most powerful? Absolutely. Also, everyone needs some Kentaro and Naoki in their lives.
About the author
Ari Ryn grew up in Southeastern Europe and spent part of his life in Taiwan and Japan. He writes quiet, psychologically driven fiction shaped by cross-cultural experience.
Wonderful Half is his debut novel, influenced by his own struggles with mental health during adolescence. He currently lives in Europe with his family.
Contact
Get in touch with any inquiries at hello@ariryn.com or by filling out the form below.