A beautifully written book about a woman who sees the world as it is, without emotion. The author does a great job of developing the character over the course of her experiences, bringing her to a point of a final self acceptance. The relationship with Shiraha is disturbingly abusive, however the way the relationship mirrors society’s view of the main character is nicely woven in. Murata also references ‘normal’ frequently, in the end ‘normal’ is what each individual character creates for themselves.
Complex and simple all at the same time, with a message to be true to yourself.