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kimib79's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book started off strong and then just dragged on and on. It could have been 300 pages or perhaps fewer. Her married friend is bat crap crazy, fyi.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Fatphobia and Body shaming
Minor: Blood, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Suicide, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Grief, and Toxic friendship
aventurinewand's review
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Fatphobia
Moderate: Sexual assault
book_artiste's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Enjoyed the inclusion of feminist themes and think they were insightful from the perspective of women in Japan, but otherwise there were no "hot-takes" or new information for me in terms of this theme. Really enjoyed, however, how the plot was so well linked to this theme and did well to address many different issues in a natural way (didn't feel forced/performative).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Infertility, Murder, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Classism, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Mental illness
NOTE: mislabeled trigger warnings as graphic, these are mainly moderate to mild but be aware these themes exist in the bookmoa's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Rape, Pedophilia, Grief, and Sexual assault
teaandbooksnuggery's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Misogyny, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Infertility, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
siriface's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Murder, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Sexual assault, and Misogyny
Moderate: Infidelity and Infertility
woodsybookworm's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
🧈 Butter 🧈
Rating: 🧈🧈🧈🧈🧈
5 Sticks of yellowy emulsified goodness 😋
I have not read a book about food that's made me quite literally drool while reading since Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto. This book was a love letter to the culinary arts. I had to pause at one point to make a batch of cookies just to stop from salivating 🤤
The story follows Rika, a young journalist looking to become the first woman in her office to gain an official writer's seat with her paper. Rika decides her best bet for a career making story would be to gain an exclusive interview with serial killer Manako Kajii, a gourmand mistress accused of killing three of her patron lovers and defrauding many more.
Rika writes to the convicted serial killer, on the advice of her closest friend Reiko, asking for advice on recipes - Kajii's excellent cooking skills being a major factor in the downfall of her supposed victims. That simple letter snowballs into an unlikely friendship and perhaps a mutual obsession. But who is really in control - the interviewer or the interviewee?
This novel blends food with questions of class and gender politics that are relatable not only to those in Japan but to women around the world. Unique yet relatable characters fill the story and Asako Yuzuki's prose was utterly (udder-ly? Lol 🐄) investing.
This book made me homesick for Japan - the country, my friends, the food. Any book that brings out that kind of reaction in me, that nostalgia, is going to be a five star read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Blood, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault
katndrsn's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, and Suicide
Minor: Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Abandonment
kcarri's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thank you Fourth Estate and NetGalley for the early review copy ahead of its publication on February 29th in return for a fair and honest review.
TL;DR: interesting toxic relationships all around in a book that's far too long for its own good.
Butter is whole load of things. It's a crime novel, a feminist expose, a feast of food writing, and an emotional journey of grief, connection, and the pitfalls of society.
Butter is, also, good - but not brilliant.
It follows Rika as she secures an illusive interview with the suspected serial killer and fraudster, Kajii months before the criminal is due to go on re-trail. From there, the story plays out as conversations between the two as well as the spiraling chaos that consumes Rika as she falls more and more under Kajii's spell.
Characters in this book do the heavy lifting. Rika's internal monologue in engrossing, genuinely making you feel as if you're descending down this spiral with her. While Kajii's way of speech is so captivating that it drags you into her delusions just as it enchants Rika in the same way. Watching their relationship play out, supporting each other, destroying each other, is so enthralling to flick thorough and this is largely owed to the fabulous translation of this work.
It is impeccably written, managing to create the most engrossing first hundred pages that I have ever read in my entire life. It explores its politics of patriarchy and the expectations society places on women with such clarity while still rich metaphors and texture which is so impressive. If there's one thing you cannot fault, it is how much of amazing job Polly Barton did in translating it. That alone sees it through to the end for me.
But, the book is plotted very strangely, seeming to end far earlier than it does, and then using the remaining pages to answer questions I didn't really feel I needed to know the answer for. And in that filler, I found myself growing tired of this narrative. If it had been skimmed down to 200-300 at the most pages, then ultimately you'd get a much more tighter experience that hammers in its themes and narrative.
That for me is what stops me absolutely adoring this book. While the good are fantastically good, the whole book seems over bloated and frankly dull in sections. That doesn't mean I didn't have a good time with it - and if Japanese feminist literature with a true crime edge is at all your thing, then please give Butter a try, it's worth it - but on the whole, I've left feeling worn by it in a way I didn't expect.
TL;DR: interesting toxic relationships all around in a book that's far too long for its own good.
Butter is whole load of things. It's a crime novel, a feminist expose, a feast of food writing, and an emotional journey of grief, connection, and the pitfalls of society.
Butter is, also, good - but not brilliant.
It follows Rika as she secures an illusive interview with the suspected serial killer and fraudster, Kajii months before the criminal is due to go on re-trail. From there, the story plays out as conversations between the two as well as the spiraling chaos that consumes Rika as she falls more and more under Kajii's spell.
Characters in this book do the heavy lifting. Rika's internal monologue in engrossing, genuinely making you feel as if you're descending down this spiral with her. While Kajii's way of speech is so captivating that it drags you into her delusions just as it enchants Rika in the same way. Watching their relationship play out, supporting each other, destroying each other, is so enthralling to flick thorough and this is largely owed to the fabulous translation of this work.
It is impeccably written, managing to create the most engrossing first hundred pages that I have ever read in my entire life. It explores its politics of patriarchy and the expectations society places on women with such clarity while still rich metaphors and texture which is so impressive. If there's one thing you cannot fault, it is how much of amazing job Polly Barton did in translating it. That alone sees it through to the end for me.
But, the book is plotted very strangely, seeming to end far earlier than it does, and then using the remaining pages to answer questions I didn't really feel I needed to know the answer for. And in that filler, I found myself growing tired of this narrative. If it had been skimmed down to 200-300 at the most pages, then ultimately you'd get a much more tighter experience that hammers in its themes and narrative.
That for me is what stops me absolutely adoring this book. While the good are fantastically good, the whole book seems over bloated and frankly dull in sections. That doesn't mean I didn't have a good time with it - and if Japanese feminist literature with a true crime edge is at all your thing, then please give Butter a try, it's worth it - but on the whole, I've left feeling worn by it in a way I didn't expect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault and Violence
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