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hgullegrogan's Reviews (119)
Real rating: 4.5
This novel ponders the essence of a "person" and spirituality through the perspective of a robot. I think the last few pages of the book were lackluster, but altogether, I am pleased with this read.
This novel ponders the essence of a "person" and spirituality through the perspective of a robot. I think the last few pages of the book were lackluster, but altogether, I am pleased with this read.
This novel started as a pretty standard slice of life story. About a third of the way through the book, I started to wonder how it could tell an interesting story about sweet bean paste. Yokue's character revolts against the ableist sentiment that a person's life purpose is to be a functional part of society. Her story reveals the difficulties of isolation and social shame that commonly shroud a disabled person. I loved the message of the story and the writing style.
An exceptional, well-written novel. I will definitely reread this book.
While I like the concept and inspiration behind this story, I don't like the implementation of it. The author's existence in the story as an embodiment of the narrator completely breaks the immersion of the story. The protagonist reads as a "manic pixie dream girl" type, and the author's inclusion of another protagonist halfway through is confusing and unnecessary. I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, it was *just fine*.
challenging
emotional
informative
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
An absolutely, phenomenal read. This story is incredibly well-written and moving.
slow-paced
As a rule, I don't write negative reviews for books I haven't finished if my issue lies in the author's writing style. However, the issues I have with this book extend far past its stylistic approach (which I thought was severely lacking). This book is a series of transcripts between the author and her therapist. Other than present these transcripts, the book does not elaborate on the author's internal monologue or growth, so I really don't think this should be considered a memoir. My biggest issue is that this book is partially considered "self help", but the author's therapist is incompetent and unprofessional. Here are a few direct quotes of her therapist (speaking towards or about her):
"Your anxiety can become a burden to others."
"...I think the way you go about it is perhaps a little...childish?"
"[Author] But how do I stop myself from feeling ordinary and pitiful?
[Therapist] Is that something we necessarily need to fix?
[Author] But I want to love myself."
I was blown away by some of the absurd advice her therapist gave her--much of it more harmful than helpful to share. The title of this book drew me in, but that's one of the few good things about this book.
"Your anxiety can become a burden to others."
"...I think the way you go about it is perhaps a little...childish?"
"[Author] But how do I stop myself from feeling ordinary and pitiful?
[Therapist] Is that something we necessarily need to fix?
[Author] But I want to love myself."
I was blown away by some of the absurd advice her therapist gave her--much of it more harmful than helpful to share. The title of this book drew me in, but that's one of the few good things about this book.
An insightful look into the mind of an author whose work I have greatly enjoyed. There are many facets of her life that surprised me, and the stylistic approach she took is unique.
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Exceptional memoir. Elyn does a great job describing the terrifying world inside of her mind. She urges the reader to emphasize with those with mental illness, and her life symbolizes a revolt against society's expectations of people with mental illness.
A sweet, sentimental story which illustrates the bond between a person and their pet.
I really like the writing style and translation of this work. The first half of the book was interesting and compelling. But the ending of the book was a total cliche copout. I felt it would have been right for the protagonist to meet a dark ending, but this "story book ending" is elementary and lackluster. I'm very annoyed by the ending.