A review by furu_ya
All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Irie's experiences, her thoughts and actions are so relatable and feel so realistic, it's almost painful. And yet I didn't finish this novel with a void in my chest, but a warm, comforting feeling, as if the light she was talking about found its way from the pages to me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Rape

There is a sexual assault scene in chapter 6 that can be comfortably skipped. It does come back into play later when

Hijiri throws back the exact same words at Irie that Mizuno had said to her after assaulting her

but it won't take anything out of the experience if it's skipped.