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slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really mixed feelings about this book. I think it tried to sensitively use an untraditional lens to explore women's desires and scrutiny in the relatively socially conservative context of Japan. The part I liked the best was when the two friends, Nika and Reiko, we're on two separate trajectories, each exploring their own theories about Kaji. It had the right tone of light ominousness and the complex interrelational dynamics between the three women. I liked the vaguely (and sometimes explicit?) sexual tension between the female characters, but there was too much for none of them to have a gay revelation. My criticisms: It was a little ridiculous how many things gave her a tickle or tingle or bubble or fizz in the back of her throat. And the constant attempt to make cooking metaphors for life really fell flat for me. The ultimate revelations fell kind of flat to me and the resolution...a little cheesy? I'm not sure. Something felt unrewarding and a little too moralistic to me (like it was too obvious there was a "lesson").