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On My 29th Birthday, I Decided to Die One Year Later
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 1, 2024
i picked this book on a whim, thanks to its title, and finished it within the hour.
considering how fast of a read it is, the author does well in capturing the life of Amari, a woman turning 29 without any goals, achievements, or direction in life. sitting in her tiny studio apartment with no money, no hobbies, no friends, no boyfriend, no salaried job (despite having studied all her life to attend college in tokyo), she decides on her birthday that everything in life is better off, well, without her in it.
with her mind made, she is determined to pick up that kitchen knife...but finds she lacks the courage to end everything then and there. it's purely coincidental that the tv in the back is playing a scene from a show set in las vegas, when she realizes she's never done anything remotely out of the ordinary in this mundane history of hers. she decides to give herself exactly a year to save up for a trip to the vegas strip, where she'll gamble all her savings and end things there.
it's funny what setting a goal does to someone, because Amari spends the rest of the year doing anything that will add to her vegas fund: working as a hostess at a bar and picking up nude modeling, all the while staying at her contract job during work hours. for the first time in her life, Amari forces herself to act on things that she'd never have before...because...well, why not? why leave any regrets? everything is meaningless anyway. it's this mindset that allows her to make genuine friends for the first time in her life, learn english from foreigners, and buy dresses worth more than she'd purchased for herself ever.
everything boils down to when she actually lands in vegas, counting down the hours until she turns 30. and it's during this scene that i wonder if i'd be able to act so boldly, and with such resolve, in the face of death. i realize it takes tremendous courage to actually pull off such a plan, in the span of a year, as Amari does.
despite the slightly unrealistic portrayal of her experiences (eg: the pg-fication the nightlife scene in ginza, and her 180 degree switch-up in her mental resolve as soon as she sets her eyes on vegas), i found comfort in her story. how many people can say they're truly excited for their 30's at age 29? at 28 i am already regretting so many mistakes i'd made in my twenties, especially wishing i'd be able to re-do some of those early years. personally - with "30" comes dread, the fear of having to withstand yet another decade of "becoming." but it's Amari's revelations on her last night in vegas that inspires me to change my way of thinking. and for that, this book deserves every single star in this rating.
a quick aside: it's worth noting that the author's name is also Amari, as if this could be an autobiographical essay. i wonder if the author has also found comfort in imparting her thoughts to her literary self. :^)
considering how fast of a read it is, the author does well in capturing the life of Amari, a woman turning 29 without any goals, achievements, or direction in life. sitting in her tiny studio apartment with no money, no hobbies, no friends, no boyfriend, no salaried job (despite having studied all her life to attend college in tokyo), she decides on her birthday that everything in life is better off, well, without her in it.
with her mind made, she is determined to pick up that kitchen knife...but finds she lacks the courage to end everything then and there. it's purely coincidental that the tv in the back is playing a scene from a show set in las vegas, when she realizes she's never done anything remotely out of the ordinary in this mundane history of hers. she decides to give herself exactly a year to save up for a trip to the vegas strip, where she'll gamble all her savings and end things there.
it's funny what setting a goal does to someone, because Amari spends the rest of the year doing anything that will add to her vegas fund: working as a hostess at a bar and picking up nude modeling, all the while staying at her contract job during work hours. for the first time in her life, Amari forces herself to act on things that she'd never have before...because...well, why not? why leave any regrets? everything is meaningless anyway. it's this mindset that allows her to make genuine friends for the first time in her life, learn english from foreigners, and buy dresses worth more than she'd purchased for herself ever.
everything boils down to when she actually lands in vegas, counting down the hours until she turns 30. and it's during this scene that i wonder if i'd be able to act so boldly, and with such resolve, in the face of death. i realize it takes tremendous courage to actually pull off such a plan, in the span of a year, as Amari does.
despite the slightly unrealistic portrayal of her experiences (eg: the pg-fication the nightlife scene in ginza, and her 180 degree switch-up in her mental resolve as soon as she sets her eyes on vegas), i found comfort in her story. how many people can say they're truly excited for their 30's at age 29? at 28 i am already regretting so many mistakes i'd made in my twenties, especially wishing i'd be able to re-do some of those early years. personally - with "30" comes dread, the fear of having to withstand yet another decade of "becoming." but it's Amari's revelations on her last night in vegas that inspires me to change my way of thinking. and for that, this book deserves every single star in this rating.
a quick aside: it's worth noting that the author's name is also Amari, as if this could be an autobiographical essay. i wonder if the author has also found comfort in imparting her thoughts to her literary self. :^)
June 10, 2024
My favorite book. It got me through a hard time
June 9, 2020
I saw this book when I turned 29 myself. Intrigued by the title, I bought the book.
This book is describing the life of the author herself when she would live her life without any passion or goals passively until she reaches 29. She decides to do all she can to make her only wish (going to Las Vegas) true in one year and die afterwards. During this time, she experiences how wonderful the life can turn out when you have certain goals and how she grows and changes with each challenge she succeeds.
For those who are not sure about their life, this will give you a positive outlook what everyone is able to do. When you are not sure about your life and experienced a lot of bad and hopeless incidents, please try to read this book.
This book is describing the life of the author herself when she would live her life without any passion or goals passively until she reaches 29. She decides to do all she can to make her only wish (going to Las Vegas) true in one year and die afterwards. During this time, she experiences how wonderful the life can turn out when you have certain goals and how she grows and changes with each challenge she succeeds.
For those who are not sure about their life, this will give you a positive outlook what everyone is able to do. When you are not sure about your life and experienced a lot of bad and hopeless incidents, please try to read this book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews