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thewordsdevourer's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
solo dance is a rare book, one whose frank rumination and discussion of death speaks deeply to me. this is a novel abt death, trauma, and queerness, and kotomi explores her themes w/ subtle aplomb, reminiscent of qiu miaojin whose influence figures largely in the text as well.
while it's aptly dark and depressing at times, i enjoy the book's depiction of what it's like to be queer not only in taiwan but in corporate japan as well. it's the seemingly little things that greatly illustrates how heteronormative society is, w/ norie's time in her corporate job being an example. the disconnect between her external confidence and jubilance w/ her internal distance and despair also ring true, if a lil too relatable, too.
while the climax of norie's farewell trip and seemingly last reflections are very powerful, the ending - esp haoxue and jiaozhu's abrupt appearance - is a lil anticlimactic, coming off as too convenient, and i wish it was also less sudden. overall, however, this is a good book, and a particularly thought-provoking one abt death that i rly connect to.
while it's aptly dark and depressing at times, i enjoy the book's depiction of what it's like to be queer not only in taiwan but in corporate japan as well. it's the seemingly little things that greatly illustrates how heteronormative society is, w/ norie's time in her corporate job being an example. the disconnect between her external confidence and jubilance w/ her internal distance and despair also ring true, if a lil too relatable, too.
while the climax of norie's farewell trip and seemingly last reflections are very powerful, the ending - esp haoxue and jiaozhu's abrupt appearance - is a lil anticlimactic, coming off as too convenient, and i wish it was also less sudden. overall, however, this is a good book, and a particularly thought-provoking one abt death that i rly connect to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, and Outing
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death and Rape
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