A review by maketeaa
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

dark funny reflective fast-paced

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

4.75

i am shocked that i had the audacity to say i didnt enjoy this book when i first read it. what a darkly funny commentary on neurodivergency and assimilating to a neurotypical culture! keiko furukura is keenly aware of being 'different', of not quite knowing why she doesn't understand what others do, but her eighteen-year job as a convenience store worker acts as the one place where she feels 'normal', a functioning cog of society. her acquaintanceship with shiraha, an ex-colleague from the convenience store, and their 'relationship' of convenience acts as a vehicle to explore whether putting on the costume of what is 'acceptable' by society is truly enough to feel complete, purposeful, 'cured', or whether we create our own purposes by the manuals and processes we are most familiar with. i loved the ending and loved keiko so much. i want to give her a HUG