Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

57 reviews

glitterdeww's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I need new vocabulary to accurately describe the immense treat that is Convenience Store Woman. “Mundane yet strange,” feels far too broad. The vibes of this story feel like a symphony of everyday sounds, a cognitively intimate awareness of other humans, and the comfort of allowing oneself to be a small piece of a well-functioning machine. 

Murata’s acclaimed short novel follows Keiko Furukura, a middle aged woman in Japan that has worked at a convenience store for 18 years. She is described as unusual, some type of social outcast. Through her point of view, the reader gains access to her uncomfortable yet astute inner workings. The additional characters serve as everything from pained yet caring family, to hateful and emotionally blind fellow outcasts. 

As the societal criticism of Keiko’s life choices is further explored, I was left with only frustration for her sake. Keiko has found routine, peace, and connectedness through her work. If the general tasks she did to take up her time were done in service to a church or nunnery, no one would bat an eye. This story does well to lay out hypocrisy and prejudice in a lovely and succinct manner. 

Also, the back of my book contained Murata’s essay that first appeared in Literally Hub on June 14th, 2018. I was rolling, omg. It's just as fantastic and well worth the read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting

Minor: Sexual content, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

slaywithsteph's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Animal death, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Toxic friendship

Antiasexualism

maddykes13's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Acephobia/Arophobia

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, and Sexual harassment

bellsdixon's review against another edition

challenging funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Cursing and Alcohol

gemmu's review against another edition

inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I love quirky and morally gray characters, so this book was really up my alley. I even found the main character quite relatable at times. 

At some points the story felt almost thriller-like - but not for the reasons you might think. Keiko Furukura's uncommon thoughts - although, a bit creepy - were not the reason for my uneasiness at times. Instead, all the other characters created the pressure of uncertainty. You couldn't be quite sure when they would push Keiko, or anyone else outside the social norms, too far. Personally I just don't like noisy people, which probably caused me the most discomfort while reading.

Over all, one of the best books I have read for a while <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal death and Stalking

charlie_woodchipper's review against another edition

lighthearted sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Impressive how this was successfully made into something somewhat lighthearted. It was a bit unsettling at times, and could easily have been turned into a horror book. But it wasn't, and that made the experience special, different. I don't think I've read something quite like that before. It tackled extreme obsession without being violent or gory or creepy. It made convenient stores appear cozy and homy somehow, because of the protagonist point of view 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Stalking

Minor: Sexual harassment

_al's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5/75 out of 5 stars and I genuinely enjoyed but also in the middle I kinda got confused if we meant to read Keiko as a character and the entire book in general as a satire or its just a nice message and that Keiko meant to break from the desire to "blend in". Obviously in the end it was the second but I think it got jumbled a bit (even though Keiko was hilarious)
Still, the book was very enjoyable and I liked Keiko as main character. The themes and message was also kinda echoing some my personal struggles and long existing thoughts, so that's also nice.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Body shaming, Stalking, and Gaslighting

Minor: Animal death

laurenbaggy's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Gaslighting

Minor: Animal death, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

ferdie's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This book is easily read in one sitting. I wouldn't say I enjoyed the story, but it prompted a lot of thoughts on acceptability, normality, and finding your way when you don't fit. There is never a diagnosis, but the main character Keiko is autism coded. The book is descriptive of masking and how she tries to mimic others to appear normal. It felt exhausting reading it, not to mention doing it everyday.  Convienance Store Woman left me feeling pity, struggle, earnestness, and cheery for her in the end.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Misogyny, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal death

lizzield's review against another edition

funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Toxic friendship and Sexual harassment