BUTTER

An interesting book about the messed up politics surrounding gender, food, and bodies in Japan (which in many ways mirror that same kind of messed up politics in the U.S.). The book offers an interesting answer to some of those problems by way of kinship as the protagonist arrives at a unique way of thinking about home, domesticity, friendship, family, and kin.

There might be no escape from the aforementioned mentioned messed up politics, but this book suggests that there might be different ways of inhabiting them.

Struggled to finish this. I think it was just that bit too abstract or unfocused for me and I did not particularly enjoy the writing style.

The descriptions of food and some of the insights into Japanese culture and societal pressures were bright spots.

It really wasn't what I expected it to be, which was possibly half the problem. Don't read this expecting a thriller or mystery. It's more of a character study and inspection of beauty standards/expectations for women.