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nofacelif's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A fantastic read about womanhood, motherhood, bodily autonomy, fertility, and loneliness
I would recommend this book to every woman. Each woman can find something to relate to. The characters (especially the women) are brilliantly written that they feel real. Their experiences and the conversations between them are issues and discussions that real-life women go through. Thus, it made me reflect on my own experiences as a woman and got me thinking about motherhood and what that entails.
I also liked how the author showcases various perspectives of women from different social classes and generations while still sticking to the same narrator. I think reading only Natsu's version of events made the story feel more personal.
This novel will holp up years later, and I will definitely be rereading it.
I would recommend this book to every woman. Each woman can find something to relate to. The characters (especially the women) are brilliantly written that they feel real. Their experiences and the conversations between them are issues and discussions that real-life women go through. Thus, it made me reflect on my own experiences as a woman and got me thinking about motherhood and what that entails.
I also liked how the author showcases various perspectives of women from different social classes and generations while still sticking to the same narrator. I think reading only Natsu's version of events made the story feel more personal.
This novel will holp up years later, and I will definitely be rereading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Rape, Death of parent, and Alcohol
camereseparate's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Transphobia
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Admittedly, this one took more time than I normally would have given a book to get invested. I’m glad I stuck with it, though, because this ended up being a really entertaining read that grappled with an array of interconnected issues. I wouldn’t say the book is funny in the “laugh out loud” sense, nor was it exactly quirky, but there were a number of occasions where you couldn’t help but feel the corner of your lips tug slightly upward at some of the protagonist’s thoughts or in her conversations with others.
Speaking of, the thoughts and conversations around sexuality came as a pleasant surprise for me. I was not expecting such a nuanced approach to asexuality and the struggles that often come with being a sex-repulsed asexual, but Kawakami did a wonderful job exploring the complexities of sexuality, especially when considering other matters such as gender and childbearing. I appreciated that Kawakami didn’t make a huge fuss about giving Natsuko (the protagonist) a label or concrete idea of why she’s so sex-repulsed and, instead, allowed thoughts to flow freely in a way that felt authentic to anyone trying to work out their sexuality.
My main gripe isn’t about the content but, rather, the structure. I felt the two parts of this book seemed a bit disconnected, plot-wise. I just couldn’t quite follow how the two parts closely connected beyond sharing similar themes. It probably didn’t help that I struggled a bit with the first part, since I didn’t find it as engaging as the second part.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Infertility, Sexism, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Blood, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
book_voyager's review
medium-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
3.25
The first part of the book was really dragging, and I almost DNFed the whole book. Nothing just made sense, and to be honest, I still don’t have an idea what Makiko’s breasts had to do with anything. Everything seemed so messy.
Luckily, I didn’t stop reading, and I really liked part 2 of the book. The themes of that part where something that hit somewhat close to me and that’s why enjoyed reading it.
As a whole, this book has a lot of elements and I don’t know if they are all necessary. Is it important that Natsuko is a writer, is it important that Midoriko didn’t want to talk to her mum? I don’t know. I think the book would’ve worked without several things.
Luckily, I didn’t stop reading, and I really liked part 2 of the book. The themes of that part where something that hit somewhat close to me and that’s why enjoyed reading it.
As a whole, this book has a lot of elements and I don’t know if they are all necessary. Is it important that Natsuko is a writer, is it important that Midoriko didn’t want to talk to her mum? I don’t know. I think the book would’ve worked without several things.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
jonabel's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
The Japanese have this wonderful way of telling slices of life or mundane moments in life into something deeper than its face value. This books is an example of that. The first part of the book which was actually published first into a novella happened in just a span of a summer weekend, yet it was able to tackle deeply rooted gender-related problems such as lack of proper sex education, body shame, childhood trauma, and the struggles of working-class women. Personally, I like the first part more. Maybe it's the way it's written where the journal entries of Midoriko were also written, giving us a glimpse of how a teenage girl in that class and family processes thoughts about puberty and poverty.
The second book tackles more about motherhood or the avoidance of it, and how the protagonist, Natsuko Natsume tiptoes around it. Issues about artificial insemination and parenthood were also discussed. I also liked that there is a representation of someone who cannot physically tolerate sex. I did not like the ending tho. It seems pretty convenient for everyone.
But in summary, this book is a must-read. It explores the female body, the struggles of being a woman, the struggles of being a poor woman. It might seem very personal, speaking as a woman, but it is actually a very political literature.
The second book tackles more about motherhood or the avoidance of it, and how the protagonist, Natsuko Natsume tiptoes around it. Issues about artificial insemination and parenthood were also discussed. I also liked that there is a representation of someone who cannot physically tolerate sex. I did not like the ending tho. It seems pretty convenient for everyone.
But in summary, this book is a must-read. It explores the female body, the struggles of being a woman, the struggles of being a poor woman. It might seem very personal, speaking as a woman, but it is actually a very political literature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Sexual harassment
brooklynjane's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
aliceayres's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse, Infertility, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death, and Alcohol
There are some very disturbing parts concerning a sperm donor I didn’t see coming. Please be aware of this.