'As I start home she waves at me and says, "Al Pacino!" I raise my hand and wave back and say, "Al Pacino!'
― Mieko Kawakami, Ms Ice Sandwich

Ms Ice Sandwich is a tale about a young boy who obsessively returns to a convenience store because he's smitten by the beauty of the woman who sells sandwiches, especially her ice-blue eyelids.
Short, sweet, heart-warming, I am surprised by how much was packed in this novella. Kawakami is sneaky. She hid so much warmth between the pages of a book, which is a story about a fourth grader's obsession with a grown woman, who apparently lacks social graces. This novella is much more about the boy and his fixation; it's about love, loss, tenderness, closure, friendship, and how society dictates and discriminates one based on looks.
What one thinks to be ugly might be beautiful to another. It's about how, as children, we choose to see the best in everyone. But it's also about how loss makes one mature early in life. At first, I wondered why I was reading about a tween and his first, one-sided love, but if you read between the lines, I assure you, your heart will melt like butter.
I reckon it is a perfect read for when you are in a slump and need a pick-me-up.