Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi

66 reviews

iszys's review

funny fast-paced

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

4.5

As a woman who does not drink coffee but was in charge of making coffee at my last job... I get it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy

saturnsierra's review

reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

marlzipan's review against another edition

funny reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Feminist protest can take all kinds of forms - Diary of a Void is an unusual yet highly effective take from Japanese author Emi Yagi. We follow Shibata-san, a fed-up, worn-out office worker as she (accidentally) attempts the ultimate workplace heist - faking a pregnancy. This is a darkly funny, poignantly relatable and thought-provoking book, tackling themes of loneliness, work-life balance and gender norms in modern Japan. It was so refreshing to see a woman’s voice like this in translation. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

claudiashelf's review

reflective tense fast-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

❝ 34 years on this earth but I couldn't remember anything about how I'd spent the first few days of any January. It was a blank. ❞

First and foremost, I enjoy the writing in this book. I liked how the author described the MC's life activities in great detail, which made me feel related, aha. The story in this book flowed so smoothly and was so simple to read. Secondly, the more I read and delve into this book, the more I realise the meaning behind its cover—boom, I love the book's hidden aspects.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Pregnancy

florecita_lectora's review against another edition

funny reflective tense 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy and Sexism

Moderate: Gaslighting

shadowinferno's review

funny reflective

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Miscarriage

cow_png's review

emotional funny mysterious reflective tense fast-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

3.75

I think I enjoyed reading this book! At first I was like "Yeah, go for it! Fuck them" and when I go near the end, I was just confused and really interested!

I don't know if I am just really guliable or if the book and the writing was just very convincing cause when I finished this book all I could think was  "WAS SHE PREGNANT?? WHAT WAS INSIDE HER?? WHERE IS HER KID?? HUHH??"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Pregnancy

marmalou_'s review

challenging reflective medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexism

chelly_reads's review

funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

littlebrittofthis's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Diary Of A Void pulled me in with an interesting perspective on being a woman in Japanese society and it does not disappoint as we see how society still creates certain spaces for women. A slice of life book trapped in the slightly absurd. Emi Yagi creates a fascinating story of a woman who via faking a pregnancy gets out of doing the jobs in the office that have been handed to her, starting with the coffee cup cleaning in the meeting room. Interestingly these roles seem to be only given to women.

Like many contemporary books translated from Japanese, Emi Yagi’s Diary of a Void is also a quietly political novel. Diary of a Void addresses the systematic inequalities of Japan’s economy not just based on gender, but also on age, class, and race.

The characterization and thought process as the baby is ‘created’ is fascinating and intense, and incredibly well written as we see how the gaze shifts as she progresses through the pregnancy but also how she connects to people as she keeps up the lie. I expected so many things and they didn’t happen but I think that’s kinda why you stay gripped by this book until the very last page.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Infertility and Sexual harassment