Butter

Well, it’s a very apt title for the book - Butter is mentioned so much that it often becomes a bit sickly. At first, the food writing was interesting, especially the Japanese food descriptions, but it got quite repetitive towards the end.

I was really excited to read this, the reviews are glowing, and it won Waterstones Book of the Year in 2024. But honestly, it was a bit of a slog. It’s not an easy read, and I often found it a chore to pick up, maybe partly because each chapter is so long. My friend Ione also struggled with it.

The bloody fingerprints on the cover and the blurb had me expecting more of a serial killer storyline, but the plot isn’t really the main focus. I did enjoy the Japanese cultural aspects, especially the themes around body image and career expectations. The relationships between the characters were odd, and while there were some compelling inner dialogues, I was never fully invested in them.

I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t really recommend it!