Reviews with content warning for Toxic friendship - Convenience Store Woman

love the way we find personal meaning in our lives. constantly shaped by the world around us - allow it to dictate what you are, what you shouldn'tbe in society when really you should just embrace you for you. </spoiler >

Content Warnings

rhi_'s review against another edition

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dark fast-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

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skyeuqx's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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svjak's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don't think I've ever been *seen* by a book the way I feel like Sayaka Murata sees me. Convenience Store Woman was a novel about a woman who has been working in a convenience store since she was 18. She's hit that time in her life where people are starting to move on, have families of their own, reach these grand career accomplishments, and Keiko is in the same place she's been for her entire adult life.

I relate to that hard. The feeling of wondering if you've accomplished enough. The feeling of seeing all of your friends and family pass you by and take pity on you for being comfortable with where you are. The thought of the clock running out for you to do something else but despite it all feeling reluctant to do anything about it because change is so uncomfortable.

And although it's not said in this book it's very clear that Keiko is some brand of neurodivergent, if not autistic. The way she describes her troubles with socializing, the ease with which she fits in at the convenience store because she feels like a cog in a machine, the way she thinks about society and jobs as a whole - these are all thoughts I've caught myself having at one point or another. And that made this book even more valuable for me. This is great rep.

But the grandest part of this book, for me, was the ending. I learned from Keiko that it's okay to be who you are. It's okay to be content with what you're doing even if other people don't view it as 'enough' or even view it as a job. You don't owe anyone else an explanation and you can't let someone else take the reins of your life. Even if the people in your life aren't happy about it, you have to put yourself first and make yourself happy, and if you're good at something and you love doing it then you don't owe anyone else anything. You have to make your own decisions.

And Keiko did.

I loved this book. I needed this book.

Content Warnings

scifi_rat's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

3.75

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gamer3's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

It's reflective, but I can't surpass the amount of normalized hate of different communities I read. I finished it in hope that it would be better, but honestly it didn't. Don't recommend.

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cutepatzie's review against another edition

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funny informative lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

5.0

As a person who deals with not understatement by closes to me people Completely understand the feelings of the main character. She finds her place, a thing that she loves to do and people are not happy that "the system" of being normal has an error. It's a great book. But I understand it's not everyone and maybe not everyone will understand her like I did.

Content Warnings

linguaphile412's review against another edition

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reflective 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

2.5

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