Reviews with content warning for Eating disorder - All the Lovers in the Night

Didn't love this, I feel truly neutral about it. Its like i was reading only to get to the end of it. i didn't connect with any of the characters or their problems, the main characters troubles seemed self-inflicted, and I absolutely hate the way it talks about—or rather doesn't talk about—mental health.

The main character is dealing with a number of things,

anxiety, depression, alcoholism, an eating disorder, recovery from rape

, but they are presented as being normal parts of life that she has to conquer on her own, without help, before she can let herself be loved. Its sick and twisted to me, it wasn't good for me, I don't recommend it if you deal with any of these problems.

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nylz's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is a sad girl book to its core and I: Ate. It. Up.
Do not read this book if you need a plot, because this book is mainly vibes and emotions, which is exactly the point. It reflects the main character and how she chooses to live her life perfectly.

The book starts out very distant from our main character Fuyuko and her life. You get a glimpse behind her mundane and dreary life every now and then but everything is happening very slowly. The distance grows smaller the further you get into the book and you start to learn about Fuyukos past and trauma and what made her the person we get to know.
A lot of summaries focus on the developing relationship with Mitsutsuka, but in my opinion this book is about so much more than this “love story”. It’s about the importance of friendships that value you for who you are and not for the version that they want you to be, about the difference between being alone and being lonely, how you have to stay true to yourself and not change for anyone but yourself, and how you past is a part of you but doesn’t define you.

This book felt like a warm hug and a kick in the guts, it was wholesome and emotional and frustrating and sad. Mieko Kawakami crafted a story so delicate and nuanced you won’t be able to forget about it. Her writing is incredibly accessible while being poetic and simply beautiful.

Easily one of the best books i’ve ever read.

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lozzo_bozo's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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cecilialau_'s review against another edition

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4.0

When first getting into it, I worried that it would be overly descriptive and slow, and I did initially find it hard to reach for it/wanting to keep going.
However, I did have very high expectations but the latter half-ish really came together so well in my experience of it. I thought it was written so well and with such relatability and heart. You get to reflect on life through the life lived on the pages and the interactions (both real, imagined and the ones that were passed by).
I definitely recommend this - and there is such a thing as a right time, and both you and this book deserves that

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