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Rebecca McCormick. Powered by Blogger.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata - Review

Wednesday, January 29, 2025



I can't even remember where I first heard about this book, but it was a while ago, and I feel like a lot of the bookstagrammers I follow have read it. I added it to my wishlist ages ago and one of my Secret Santas this year sent it to me. I'm really glad they picked it for me; I do keep my wishlist up to date and I'm glad I left this on it for so long because I really enjoyed it and liked reading it. I would read something else by the same author, for sure. 

So Keiko is thirty six years old and she lives by herself in a studio apartment. She works in a convenience store. She has worked there since she was eighteen. She really likes the routine of it, she likes knowing what she should be doing, she likes working out what the weather will mean for what they will sell. She has known since childhood that she is 'strange', so she learns social mores and ways of being from her coworkers. A lot of them are young, student types, and those her age tend to be management. Her parents wish she would get a 'real' job or at least settle down, but she's happy in her lane. 

She is close to her sister, who has just had a baby, and some of her sister's friends. One day she mentions a coworker, Shiraha, to them, and they are overjoyed for her, thinking she's finally met someone. Shiraha needs somewhere to stay after getting fired, and so Keiko invites him to stay with her. Keiko's life is changed but not necessarily for the better... 

I think Keiko is definitely autistic, and I think someone needs to diagnose her maybe and get her some support. I read a negative review of this book which said it was poking fun at autistic people but I really don't agree with that at all. I think Keiko is unapologetically herself and gets even more comfortable with that towards the end of the book. There's a lot about society's expectations of her as a woman nearing forty but I think it's fair to say that she just doesn't care. She's happy with her life and that's fine

I'm giving this four out five. I liked it a lot and would recommend it. 

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