Alex Board’s Reviews > Butter > Status Update

I love a book with alternating POVs, especially when the perspective shift comes as a pleasant surprise and challenges the conventions of the novel. That said, I don't like Reiko's voice as a narrator. At all! #bringbackrika

I'm getting bored. Every conversation is about Rika's weight and the story isn't progressing.

This book never goes where I expect it to, which I like. I wish it harped less on her weight. Some of the figurative language is uncomfortable to read.

The summary scenes bored me.🥱The backstories for irrelevant characters were inappropriately dense. It's gaining momentum though, and the conflict's beginning to build. I'm interested.

Another thought worth noting: this book is straightforward and honest in its approach to theme. There isn't room for guesswork. Within the first chapter, it explicitly tells you what it's about: misogyny and fatphobia in contemporary Japanese society. This stylistic choice primes the reader to interpret the book through the lens of its societal issues, but reduces opportunities for discovery.

Okay I'm hooked. The descriptions of food are so good that they've already influenced my grocery list.