Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder by Asako Yuzuki

5 reviews

kimib79's review

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

This book started off strong and then just dragged on and on. It could have been 300 pages or perhaps fewer. Her married friend is bat crap crazy, fyi. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Fatphobia and Body shaming

Minor: Blood, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Suicide, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Grief, and Toxic friendship

franzi_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Moderate: Car accident, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual harassment, and Mental illness

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Infertility, and Body shaming

book_artiste's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Enjoyed the inclusion of feminist themes and think they were insightful from the perspective of women in Japan, but otherwise there were no "hot-takes" or new information for me in terms of this theme. Really enjoyed, however, how the plot was so well linked to this theme and did well to address many different issues in a natural way (didn't feel forced/performative). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Infertility, Murder, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Classism, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Mental illness

NOTE: mislabeled trigger warnings as graphic, these are mainly moderate to mild but be aware these themes exist in the book

heather_harrison's review

dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Our protagonist Rika, a female journalist in her 30s, finds her life and her identity tipped upside in the task of interviewing accused murder Kajii. 

Butter delves into the concepts of misogyny, expectations of women, loneliness & isolation in society, and pleasure. 

The novel is long, and I found myself struggling in middle as the plot begins to thicken. The ending was delicious. 

This book touts itself as being inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer” - and it seems accurate and as well as stranger than fiction.  

With thanks to NetGalley and 4th Estate for my e-ARC of Butter. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Eating disorder, Sexism, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Infertility, Sexism, Grief, Infidelity, and Mental illness

naraya's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Mental illness

Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Sexual violence