The world needs more books about female friendships. Right now there has been a surge of interest in Japanese literature by female authors and Fumie Kondo should be part of that list.
This was my first time reading a Japanese novel fully in Japanese. I feel like I’ve finally reached the level where I don’t have to use a dictionary every few pages. Influence was straightforward without too much flowery language so it was a perfect book for me at this point in my Japanese studies.
I LOVE the cover of three cut out paper girls with haphazard strings wrapped around them. I think that imagery represents the complex bonds in female relationships well. It was so refreshing to read about female relationships that weren’t related to rivalry for a male love interest.
The suspense is another factor that helped me read through this book at a good pace. I couldn’t predict the true motives of the two best friends surrounding the narrator. I couldn’t tell if they were going to betray each other or protect each other. But the narrator was extremely loyal to her friends and that was admirable.
My take-away message was that women can have extremely strong bonds and ties that help them get through this messy world.