There were lots of things I really enjoyed about this book, and a few that I didn't as much. But I think overall, the good outweighed the bad for sure, so that is a win, right? Let's break it down!
The Good:
- The setting! Japan is a bucket-list travel destination for me, so I was tickled to see a book set there! Also, it made me really want sushi, because there was a lot of food talk in the book! But yeah, the setting was phenomenal, I loved that aspect for sure.
- Since it was set in Japan, there was cultural diversity of course, but that wasn't even the only diversity in the book! There were some LGBT+ themes too, which was such a win! While I can't speak on a personal level about the representations, it appeared to be incredibly well researched and thought out.
- The historical part was fabulous. I think I liked that part of the story more than the present day, in fact. I was so drawn in by the Japanese history, and the commentary on the role of women in that time period, and I was so invested in the outcome of that storyline.
- I was definitely kept guessing! I wasn't sure what would become of Reiko and her anger and self harming behaviors, or even what the catalyst was/would be. I also was definitely interested to figure out how/if the whole historical storyline would impact Reiko's modern day life, and of course how that particular story would wrap up too.
The Not as Good:
- Oddly, I think this book could have benefitted from more pages, which is something I almost never say. But by the end, I felt like there was almost too much I was a little unclear about, and that left me wanting a bit more. Both with Reiko as a character, and with the plot, I felt like they could have been fleshed out just a bit more.
- I didn't quite understand Reiko. Maybe that's a good thing, because she is one dark character. She is very unhappy, that is clear, and she seeks revenge on anyone she's perceived to have wronged her in some way. I just never got a real sense of why. I mean, yes, I get that she is just a generally unhappy person with some very clear issues. But the whole need for vengeance was something that I simply didn't understand about her character.
- The ending left me a little confused, honestly. I won't say anything more, but just be aware that it did. But maybe you won't be confused, and then you can explain it to me? Great. ;)
Bottom Line: I changed my rating on this about ten times- I went back and forth between 3 and 3.5 stars over and over. Let's say it's like, 3.25? I liked it, and I think had I felt a little better about the ending, it would have been a sure win, because I loved a lot of aspects about this book. Definitely worth a read, it's fast paced and the historical part was amazing.