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iriwindel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Body shaming, Sexism, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt
szuum's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Death and Pregnancy
Minor: Rape
pizzaisjesus98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Blood, and Stalking
tayaingrid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Abandonment
booksillremember's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Part 2: 3 stars
Part 1 was published as a novella first and you can see how much love and attention the text received. I especially loved its rich, evocative imagery (often Japanese-English translations are a bit bland), the depiction of working class women and the feminist themes. Part 2 isn't bad, but it just feels a lot more average, like the writing is missing its edge somehow. I found myself skipping through the chapters to get to the end. Overall I think this translations feels really natural, but it's unfortunate that the unique Osaka dialect couldn't be replicated. Would I instead have given Japanese characters a Cockney dialect to get the point across? Translation is a fascinating field and there's no right answer in my opinion.
Graphic: Sexism and Pregnancy
sea_sea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
jonwood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Cancer and Terminal illness
carojust's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is divided in two parts. Book One was my favorite by far, and as a standalone work, pretty much perfect, a 5.0. I cried at the beauty of her descriptions of the older sister's simple and sweet devotion to her little sister, as well as the strained relationship with her teen daughter.
Book Two is primarily focused on the younger sister, and I had trouble getting through its density -- beautiful writing, though overwhelmingly verbose. The prose doesn't have the back and forth dynamic that Book One does, switching from the teen's journal entries to the narrator's POV. Maybe that switch made Book Two feel more plain. Still very meaningful.
As a whole, this book delivers on what it means to be a woman in this world, the pressures and injustices, sexuality, the obsession with fertility, youth and appearances. The female characters sort through these themes in a heartbreaking, yet brave and honest way. I loved them, related wholeheartedly with them, and rooted for them.
You'll like this if you're interested in female perspectives, solitary main characters, thoughtful and intelligent writing.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
cgdppl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The first one focusses on the relationships between mothers and their daughters in the main characters family. The main motives in this one are the struggles of low class women in Japan, relationships between mother and daughters, as well as reflections about the female body.
The second one is centered around the carrier of the main character and her struggles with pregnancy, having children and sustaining relationships with men in her life. The second story goes mainly into antinatalist motives and the morality of having children.
Graphic: Infertility and Misogyny
Minor: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
kurumipanda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Grief
Minor: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical content, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Murder