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crissy_estev's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Transphobia, and Pregnancy
bookshelfofbee's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
⚠️content warnings: talk of cancer, body dysphoria, child sexual abuse, death of a parent, infertility, misgendering, transphobia, suicidal ideation. a lot of these are very minor but still present so pls make sure you’re comfortable with reading on these topics before reading!
first off, I FRIGGIN LOVED THIS BOOK. so so important and so relevant and so relatable!!!! I have soooo many tabs in this book of bits I loved and thought were so important (there’s a section where they discuss the irrelevance of men in a women’s household and my god am i LIVING for it lmao). it brings up so many important topics that we face in society and it really puts things into perspective on the variability of childbirth, motherhood and single parenting. i really have so much love for this book, it’s unreal.
i had *one* problem with it which brings it down a star and that was a weird passage in the first half of the book. we see Natsume and her sister Makiko in a bath house and there seems to be a male and female sat near them and Natsume goes on a tangent on how men cannot be in the women’s bathing section. BUT it turns out that the ‘male’ in question is in fact a trans woman and Natsume can’t seem to wrap her head around that and it seems quite transphobic to me. I’m not sure if this was miscommunication thing because obviously this book has been translated from Japanese to English but either way, I think it’s important to be aware of this misgendering section in the book.
Overall I really really enjoyed this book and really recommend it to anyone who asks for a book rec!! i have no clue what genre to put this in as it’s not really a romance and i don’t even know if i’d say it was a coming-of-age book, maybe feminist lit?? either way, you should read this asap <3
first off, I FRIGGIN LOVED THIS BOOK. so so important and so relevant and so relatable!!!! I have soooo many tabs in this book of bits I loved and thought were so important (there’s a section where they discuss the irrelevance of men in a women’s household and my god am i LIVING for it lmao). it brings up so many important topics that we face in society and it really puts things into perspective on the variability of childbirth, motherhood and single parenting. i really have so much love for this book, it’s unreal.
i had *one* problem with it which brings it down a star and that was a weird passage in the first half of the book. we see Natsume and her sister Makiko in a bath house and there seems to be a male and female sat near them and Natsume goes on a tangent on how men cannot be in the women’s bathing section. BUT it turns out that the ‘male’ in question is in fact a trans woman and Natsume can’t seem to wrap her head around that and it seems quite transphobic to me. I’m not sure if this was miscommunication thing because obviously this book has been translated from Japanese to English but either way, I think it’s important to be aware of this misgendering section in the book.
Overall I really really enjoyed this book and really recommend it to anyone who asks for a book rec!! i have no clue what genre to put this in as it’s not really a romance and i don’t even know if i’d say it was a coming-of-age book, maybe feminist lit?? either way, you should read this asap <3
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
clemencepct's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, and Transphobia
lowie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Minor: Transphobia
camereseparate's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Transphobia
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Admittedly, this one took more time than I normally would have given a book to get invested. I’m glad I stuck with it, though, because this ended up being a really entertaining read that grappled with an array of interconnected issues. I wouldn’t say the book is funny in the “laugh out loud” sense, nor was it exactly quirky, but there were a number of occasions where you couldn’t help but feel the corner of your lips tug slightly upward at some of the protagonist’s thoughts or in her conversations with others.
Speaking of, the thoughts and conversations around sexuality came as a pleasant surprise for me. I was not expecting such a nuanced approach to asexuality and the struggles that often come with being a sex-repulsed asexual, but Kawakami did a wonderful job exploring the complexities of sexuality, especially when considering other matters such as gender and childbearing. I appreciated that Kawakami didn’t make a huge fuss about giving Natsuko (the protagonist) a label or concrete idea of why she’s so sex-repulsed and, instead, allowed thoughts to flow freely in a way that felt authentic to anyone trying to work out their sexuality.
My main gripe isn’t about the content but, rather, the structure. I felt the two parts of this book seemed a bit disconnected, plot-wise. I just couldn’t quite follow how the two parts closely connected beyond sharing similar themes. It probably didn’t help that I struggled a bit with the first part, since I didn’t find it as engaging as the second part.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Infertility, Sexism, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Blood, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
savvylit's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-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? Yes
4.5
This novel offered a fascinating look into the class divide in Japan, cultural expectations of women, and the physicality of mental distress. Natsu is an anxious woman who spends a lot of time heavily considering others' decisions - as well as her own. When she's upset in any fashion, her anxiety often announces itself in odd visions and physical pain. Without telling on myself too much, I was pleased to recognize the realistic portrayal of Natsu's physically manifested stress.
This book felt so true; like the most honest realism about a woman's life that I have encountered in fiction. Never have I read a book that seems to so accurately portray a range of complex emotions that are unique to modern womanhood. Things like intense grief. The ethics of motherhood. Trying to express a deep-seated rage when expected to be polite. The way a sibling knows you better than almost anyone else. How much beauty standards can damage a woman's self-image. How none of us asked to be born! And certainly not born into a society that hopes to fit us into a narrow image of how a woman should look, act, and think.
I haven't read many books like this that feature so many nuanced conversations between female friends and relatives. And I also haven't read any books to feature women in their early 40s as the primary perspective.
I found this book to be so incredibly refreshing; like the mugicha tea in August that Natsu and co. drink to stay cool.
This book felt so true; like the most honest realism about a woman's life that I have encountered in fiction. Never have I read a book that seems to so accurately portray a range of complex emotions that are unique to modern womanhood. Things like intense grief. The ethics of motherhood. Trying to express a deep-seated rage when expected to be polite. The way a sibling knows you better than almost anyone else. How much beauty standards can damage a woman's self-image. How none of us asked to be born! And certainly not born into a society that hopes to fit us into a narrow image of how a woman should look, act, and think.
I haven't read many books like this that feature so many nuanced conversations between female friends and relatives. And I also haven't read any books to feature women in their early 40s as the primary perspective.
I found this book to be so incredibly refreshing; like the mugicha tea in August that Natsu and co. drink to stay cool.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
odrib's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Infertility, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Transphobia, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
the_literarylinguist's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Transphobia