I enjoyed how this book explores what happens to someone who ends up living their life on autopilot as a result of not just depression but also societal expectations, the way someone omits from making decisions because their circumstances seem to just make them on their behalf. I thought it was interesting how despite being the narrator, Fuyuko isn’t even the main character in her own story. Instead, she’s a vessel used to explore the people she comes in contact with. 

Still, I unfortunately ended the book feeling unfulfilled. I enjoyed everything that was said about loneliness but something about the execution fell a little flat. I think the romance element really took away from the novel… the guy kind of just shows up and then disappears and then I’m meant to accept that his presence was enough to alter Fuyuko’s personality/outlook on life. Really wish the book honed in on the women of this novel because that’s where all the interesting parts existed. Kawakami explores the perversion of feminism and how that works to add to the competition between women, and how women feel the need to fight against their peers in all walks of life in order to obtain some form of recognition.