sleepyriv's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- 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
4.0
nothing hits as close to my heart as japanese literature about loneliness. at only 20 i feel my life heading in the same direction as fuyuko’s. the melancholy quietness of her day to day, and finding comfort in someone n not knowing what to do with it. when mitsutsuka doesn’t show up on her birthday, i felt how painful that wld be, how hopeless the future wld fee knowing she’d be alone like that forever. maybe i shld make some more friends, but who’s to say it wld make any difference?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, and Rape
Moderate: Vomit and Car accident
Minor: Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, and Death of parent
stwriter92's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Rape
Moderate: Misogyny and Vomit
rachill's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.25
I found this so interesting to read. For the better half of the story, I kept wondering ‘how is Fuyuko not addressing any of these crazy things or people with emotion?’ It was only 160 pages in when Fuyiko mentions her drinking behaviour in a negative light, as before then her drinking was described as if she was drinking water. It was so interesting and well done, with the first person perspective dulling my senses to what is bad and what is good, so much so I was randomly remembering details of the bad throughout the days it took me to read the book saying ‘oh. That was pretty bad actually’. It was quite sad that a lot of people seemed to use Fuyuko as therapy, yet something many introverts relate to.
I would have liked Fuyuko to have addressed her sexual assault from her teen years with more clarity for reader education/sake but this in itself is representative of our society’s rape myths that disregard assaults as assault unless it’s violent involving strangers.
Very interesting read. Totally agree with the ending. Poetic!
I would have liked Fuyuko to have addressed her sexual assault from her teen years with more clarity for reader education/sake but this in itself is representative of our society’s rape myths that disregard assaults as assault unless it’s violent involving strangers.
Very interesting read. Totally agree with the ending. Poetic!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Addiction, and Alcoholism
falltumn's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Alcoholism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Pregnancy, Fatphobia, and Car accident
aude's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Rape, Alcoholism, and Infidelity
Moderate: Vomit and Sexual content
Minor: Car accident, Cancer, and Pregnancy
hannaemilia's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Rape
dee_dee_dee's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Once you get through the exposition the writing has a nice flow and seems very attentive but there are passages that are hard work to get through. Might be worth it though. Overall the plot seems rushed anyways.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Sexual assault
Moderate: Mental illness
emilia___'s review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Alcoholism
julesjb's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
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? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Alcoholism, and Mental illness
mromie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Similar to her bestseller Breast and Eggs, Kawakami explores the themes of becoming as well as defining womanhood for oneself against a world that speaks so loudly on the ways a woman should be. In the vein of great Japanese novels, Kawasaki delves into these thought-provoking concepts ever so subtly through delicate yet poignantly worded descriptions of the mundane and muddled paragraphs of the main character’s inner thoughts and feelings.
The main character Fuyuko is stuck in an endless loop of isolation and passivity. I understood the feeling of wanting decisions to be made for you and to numbingly move through day to day. Fuyuko could even withstand being completely alone with no one to really talk to for a month or so.
Fuyuko reminded me of a quote from Fleabag where the titular character says, “I want someone to tell me what to wear every morning. I want someone to tell me what to eat. What to like, what to hate, what to rage about. What to listen to, what band to like…who to love and how to tell them.” There can be freedom in passivity, letting go of control and seeing where the waves of life take you. But, as we see with Fuyuko, there is also great damage as she numbs and blurs life through alcohol and struggles to build meaningful relationships.
I appreciated how the book ended without the resolution of a grand love story, rather with Fuyuko recognizing how bright and full of energy life can be, how striking it is to have felt something even if it is pain or hardship. It was wonderful to see the differences in how Hijiri and Fuyuko interacted with each other in the end. Instead of thoughtlessly nodding through Hijiri’s rambling, Fuyuko was now an active participant. Made me proud of the MC
The main character Fuyuko is stuck in an endless loop of isolation and passivity. I understood the feeling of wanting decisions to be made for you and to numbingly move through day to day. Fuyuko could even withstand being completely alone with no one to really talk to for a month or so.
Fuyuko reminded me of a quote from Fleabag where the titular character says, “I want someone to tell me what to wear every morning. I want someone to tell me what to eat. What to like, what to hate, what to rage about. What to listen to, what band to like…who to love and how to tell them.” There can be freedom in passivity, letting go of control and seeing where the waves of life take you. But, as we see with Fuyuko, there is also great damage as she numbs and blurs life through alcohol and struggles to build meaningful relationships.
I appreciated how the book ended without the resolution of a grand love story, rather with Fuyuko recognizing how bright and full of energy life can be, how striking it is to have felt something even if it is pain or hardship. It was wonderful to see the differences in how Hijiri and Fuyuko interacted with each other in the end. Instead of thoughtlessly nodding through Hijiri’s rambling, Fuyuko was now an active participant. Made me proud of the MC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Mental illness