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leospressos's review against another edition
reflective
fast-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
3.0
Fast read, but the lack of interior life of the main character was annoying to me. Many things she said or did could've had more impact if we saw her thought process. Instead it's always "I just did that", with no reflection behing any action
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
melis_salome's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Minor: Violence
holliesatchell's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
michaelion's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Every book has it's autism moment. This books is 163 pages of autism moments. Usually I would love that, but there's a clear commentary here that isn't explored enough.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, and Stalking
If eugenics was a tag I'd put it in moderate.markwillnevercry's review against another edition
3.0
It was a kind of a good book? It is all about your purpose and your role in society. However, I did feel uncomfortable while reading a big part of it. I know that it is intentional and that Shiraha is supposed to make us feel uncomfortable, because he is so crazy, but it did not make this the best reading experience. The jury is still out on whether or not Keiko is just autistic and asexual, but the bigger point is that she found her place in the world, but that does not satisfy people around them. It would have been nice seeing this story entirely without Shiraha, it seems like there would have been other ways to evolve the situation into her being made less of a convenience store worker by people in the store and that leading her to a crisis of identity, but this is the way that the writer decided to go through with it and I did not enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, Sexism, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Chronic illness, Infertility, and Stalking
juliep810's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
mariekejee's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-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
3.5
I'm not going to pretend to be the arbiter of comedy here. I understand that what I find funny is not universally so, and there are plenty of things that I recognise others might find hilarious, but are not for me. However.
I am completely stumped about this book. The cover is adorned by quotes from reviews and authors praising the book for its "quirky" and "hilarious" nature. But this book is not "quirky". Keiko is not "quirky". "Quirky" is wearing two differently coloured socks. "Quirky" is every piece of home decor from the 2010s with the ugly, stylised moustache on it. "Quirky" is not being so detached from any sense of "normalcy" that you need a convenience store worker manual to function.
I found nothing to laugh about in this book. I only found reasons to despair. The people in Keiko's life have failed her enormously, and it is incredibly frustrating to read about how she is unable to fit in. The fact that the people in her life seem only to be worried about her "being cured" or "being normal" instead of understanding her or helping her makes it a frustrating read. I would assume that was the point of the novel if the cover hadn't been plastered with advertisements of how fucking funny and weird it is supposed to be.
Emotionally, this book was a tough read. I cannot help but impose my experiences as a socially awkward and isolated kid onto Keiko.
"Getting fired from a casual job in a convenience store at his age! Hopeless, really. He'd be doing us all a favour if he dropped dead, seriously."
Everyone laughed. "He really would," I said nodding, thinking that if I ever became a foreign object, I'd no doubt be eliminated in much the same way.
I almost cried reading that. I was immediately transported to being a shy, awkward kid who didn't know how to act to make people like her and clung to any sense of "friendship". I don't identify with Keiko in many ways, but her isolation and distance from "normal society" and her inability to grasp how to decrease that distance is apparently still a deep wound from my youth, and one I did not think would still resonate with me today.
Shiraha is a fucking creep and an incel and I'm glad the book did not try to redeem him. He's a very unsubtle mirror to Keiko's 'otherness', where he too is unable to find a job or a partner. He too struggles with the expectations put upon him by society. However, instead of Keiko's indifference, there is anger and cruelty and narcissism. Instead of her focus on being a good worker, there is the wish to disappear and do nothing and leech off Keiko. The book clearly wants us to hate Shiraha and sympathise with Keiko - and to be fair, I do. But what is the narrative purpose of Shiraha? What is the conclusion to draw from this? That it's only okay to be an outcast if you're not upset about it? That failing in the eyes of society is only okay if you have a developmental disorder?
I don't know. Maybe this book just hit a nerve for me. I don't recall why I was excited to read this book, but I sure as hell got something different than what I expected. I enjoyed the read, but god was I glad it was a quick one: I don't think I would've been able to stay in Keiko's head for twice the amount of pages. I don't think I will recommend this book, despite me liking it.
I am completely stumped about this book. The cover is adorned by quotes from reviews and authors praising the book for its "quirky" and "hilarious" nature. But this book is not "quirky". Keiko is not "quirky". "Quirky" is wearing two differently coloured socks. "Quirky" is every piece of home decor from the 2010s with the ugly, stylised moustache on it. "Quirky" is not being so detached from any sense of "normalcy" that you need a convenience store worker manual to function.
I found nothing to laugh about in this book. I only found reasons to despair. The people in Keiko's life have failed her enormously, and it is incredibly frustrating to read about how she is unable to fit in. The fact that the people in her life seem only to be worried about her "being cured" or "being normal" instead of understanding her or helping her makes it a frustrating read. I would assume that was the point of the novel if the cover hadn't been plastered with advertisements of how fucking funny and weird it is supposed to be.
Emotionally, this book was a tough read. I cannot help but impose my experiences as a socially awkward and isolated kid onto Keiko.
"Getting fired from a casual job in a convenience store at his age! Hopeless, really. He'd be doing us all a favour if he dropped dead, seriously."
Everyone laughed. "He really would," I said nodding, thinking that if I ever became a foreign object, I'd no doubt be eliminated in much the same way.
I almost cried reading that. I was immediately transported to being a shy, awkward kid who didn't know how to act to make people like her and clung to any sense of "friendship". I don't identify with Keiko in many ways, but her isolation and distance from "normal society" and her inability to grasp how to decrease that distance is apparently still a deep wound from my youth, and one I did not think would still resonate with me today.
Shiraha is a fucking creep and an incel and I'm glad the book did not try to redeem him. He's a very unsubtle mirror to Keiko's 'otherness', where he too is unable to find a job or a partner. He too struggles with the expectations put upon him by society. However, instead of Keiko's indifference, there is anger and cruelty and narcissism. Instead of her focus on being a good worker, there is the wish to disappear and do nothing and leech off Keiko. The book clearly wants us to hate Shiraha and sympathise with Keiko - and to be fair, I do. But what is the narrative purpose of Shiraha? What is the conclusion to draw from this? That it's only okay to be an outcast if you're not upset about it? That failing in the eyes of society is only okay if you have a developmental disorder?
I don't know. Maybe this book just hit a nerve for me. I don't recall why I was excited to read this book, but I sure as hell got something different than what I expected. I enjoyed the read, but god was I glad it was a quick one: I don't think I would've been able to stay in Keiko's head for twice the amount of pages. I don't think I will recommend this book, despite me liking it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Sexism
maddamreads's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Missing some context because it is translated from Japanese. I found it boring mostly, but it started some interesting conversations. Very slice-of-life.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism
yun's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
uparrowhead's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
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? It's complicated
4.5
A wonderfully strange book that does for quite a fast but comfortable read, Convenience Store Woman shows the hopefullness in the hopeless. I really enjoyed the overarching message of the story that heavily focused on how people are influenced and perceived by society when it comes to normality and conformity.
This isn't the kind of book that I tend to find myself reading, but it was very enjoyable while also being simple. There were times where I found the protagonist, Keiko, being very relatable in the ways in which she strays from what is considered normal in humans.
The overall message of the story, despite the hardships that lead up to it, is just a classic tale of "Be yourself, even in a society that opposes you." The story wasn't exactly ground breakingly major, but I feel like it carried it's message really well and proved to be an entertaining read. Definitely recommend to people who might feel outcasted in this world, one way or another.
This isn't the kind of book that I tend to find myself reading, but it was very enjoyable while also being simple. There were times where I found the protagonist, Keiko, being very relatable in the ways in which she strays from what is considered normal in humans.
The overall message of the story, despite the hardships that lead up to it, is just a classic tale of "Be yourself, even in a society that opposes you." The story wasn't exactly ground breakingly major, but I feel like it carried it's message really well and proved to be an entertaining read. Definitely recommend to people who might feel outcasted in this world, one way or another.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Sexual harassment