Unfortunately, this book really wasn't for me. I found the writing to be difficult to engage with. I have to admit that I'm not entirely sure why. Because it's such a popular book, I have tried on multiple occasions to engage with it, but fail miserably.

What a book! Such a great storyline and the characters were so interesting. I found myself gripped until the end. Highly recommend

What an amazing book - I took ages to finish it, this was not a single-sitting-gobble-it-up book, this was not fast food, it had to be savoured, read slowly with pauses to digest. It's also based on a real crime case in Japan that meant falling down some rabbit holes reading up on it after finishing the book. Tokyo journalist Rika Machida takes advice to write to convicted female killer Manako Kajii asking for the recipe for the beef stew she fed to her last victim to get an interview with her. The plan works and they have regular meetings. Manako talks about food, starting with her hatred of margarine and love of butter, she gets Rika to think differently about food, the pleasure it brings and the role it plays in society. At times I was not sure if I was reading a cookbook or a novel and it was amazing (and had me craving good food). One of my top reads of 2024.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Butter is a 'difficult' book to enjoy with it's exploration of desire, obsession and want - both physical and mental. The narrative is rich and all consuming for its entire 450 pages.

The journalistic fervour with which Rika approaches her expose of Manako the convicted serial killer and it's all encompassing nature is realistic and beautifully written. Rika's gradual spiral into self-destruction, manipulated both by her desire to embody the skin of Manako.

Dripping with rich description Butter is a book meant to be savoured, not rushed, taking and deserving of time to consume.

It has taken me months to finish this book, and I'm not sure why I couldn't get into it. Was it a murder mystery? A coming of age (albeit rather late) story? A cookbook? Having finally finished I think for me, it's about expectations of what it is to be a woman, a father, a daughter, a lover, a friend etc whether In Japan or elsewhere. It's also about appetite but most of all about accepting who you are, even if you don't always fit with societies demands.
So while it has not been a book to devour in a sitting, it is one that will keep me thinking for sometime.

Journalist Rika investigates the sensational case of Manako Kajii, imprisoned for murdering several men. Kajii has always refused to speak to the press by Rika starts to form a connection by playing on Kajii;s famous love of food and cooking, allowing the two women to form a complicated connection.

There were parts of this book that I loved, particularly the way it delves into misogyny in Japanese society, both directed against women by men and also internalised in their own perception of themselves and each other. The way Kajii was portrayed in the press and by people who knew her was cleverly subverted by her perception of her own power warring with her condescension towards other women and especially feminists. The impact that these perspectives had on Rika was powerful as she investigates Kajii's case and fins herself reconsidering her own ideas and approach to living in the world as a woman.

The descriptions of food are captivating and so intense that at times they were off-putting! Learning about the food (and wider) culture of Japan was fascinating.

The main issue is that the book is far too long and the narrative overly-convoluted. Kajii and Rika's conversations cover the same ground on several occassions and the same themes are revisited throughout in very similar ways so that it becomes repetitive. Overall the novel has some excellent foundation but some issues with the editing and structure (and possibly some things lost in translation?) mean that it feels bloated and unfocused.

Unpopular opinion: I didn't enjoy it. It's had great reviews, been in all the book shop windows, been anticipated and hit all the book lists and awards... I just felt it was too ramblely about food.

This was an enjoyable but middling read for me. I found the exploration of feminism and societal expectations/body image in Japan was interesting, and Rika’s experience gaining weight and becoming comfortable in her body was genuinely refreshing to read, however the book felt a touch overlong and repetitive in places, often circling the same ideas and reinforcing the same conclusions over and over. The marketing also made the novel sound far splashier than it was - whilst Kajii is an interesting character, we don’t really get a huge amount of insight into her case other than Rika’s speculations, and indeed it’s never actually clear whether she was directly responsible for her victims deaths or not (which I believe is intentional on the part of the author, though a little frustrating).

I found myself enjoying the novel when I picked it up, but didn’t feel super compelled to do so in between reading sessions, and couldn’t quite put my finger on why. There were two occasions when the POV switched to an almost diary like entry from Kaji and Rika’s friend Reiko, which were a much welcomed change of pace - it would have been interesting to have had a bit more of this, as they added some much needed tension. I also found the very last few lines of the novel unbearably cheesy, and wished the writer had chosen to end just a few paragraphs earlier. The food writing here is the real star of the show, luscious and evocative, and I genuinely came away ravenous a few times. Do not read this novel when you’re hungry!

In this intriguing novel, we meet Rika as she prepares to work on a news story about a convicted female serial killer, Manako Kajii. Rika prides herself on being all the things that Manako is not, but when they finally meet, she finds herself increasingly drawn to the intriguing character. This plays out most clearly in Manako’s love of food and cooking and, as Rika begins recreating her recipes, the bond between them morphs into something other than interviewer and subject.

Based on a true story, this was a quirky read which focuses more on topics of feminism, loneliness, and cuisine than on crime. It was, for me, far too long and I did find it getting rather repetitive towards the middle. I would, however, read more by this author, and would recommend it to any fans of feminist literature… but not so much for anyone expecting a criminological telling of this true crime.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Manako Kajii is a convicted serial killer, said to have seduced lonely businessmen with her delicious cooking. Her case has captured the nation’s imagination but she refuses to speak with the press and generally entertains no visitors. However, underachieving journalist Rika secures an audience with the elusive murderer, just months before she is due to go on retrial, after writing a letter asking for her… recipe for beef stew (?!) Rika and Kajii develop a strange relationship built around food and we watch the chaos that ensues as Rika falls completely under Kajii’s spell.

The concept was hugely appealing to me, but it was just… fine. Marketed as a murder mystery, it read more like a cookbook with a little bit of commentary on gender roles and feminism in Japanese culture. From a “murder” perspective, much of it was set in a jail. That’s about it. I think quite a lot of this book has been lost in translation and it could easily have been half the length.

I really struggled to get into the ARC of Butter and I think that was largely because of the attitudes many of the characters have towards weight (and weight gain, especially in women) which, although important to the story of a woman who cooks for men before killing them, was pretty off putting to me. But eventually I picked up the audio version, and got carried along with the story. Not a quick read at all, but an interesting one.

I listened to this very slowly on audio. I wasn’t at all what I expected as it’s billed as a thriller. It is a fascinating glimpse into Japanese life and how women behave and are expected to behave. I enjoyed it but I’m not quite sure what the point of it is, it’s very meandering and doesn’t really go anywhere and there is no tension. A strange book.

What a brilliant book!
It starts out as one thing and then morphs into another.
It manages to use a real-life story to reflect the attitudes of the Japanese people and how these are changing.
It made me question myself and my own motives.

Rika, a journalist, wants to interview female serial killer Manako Kajii, but Kajii doesn’t want to talk to anyone, least of all another woman. So Rita appeals to her love of cooking, and asks her for a recipe.

Initially I thought this would be a thriller, and whilst it has elements of that, its so much more. Butter looks at how women are regarded in society - how “thin is King (or Queen?)”, particularly in Japan. Kajii sets Rika tasks, one being to learn to cook and actually enjoy her food (that’s two tasks) - less of the “food is fuel” school of thought.

Rika learns that she’s lonely, her life is centred around her work. She wants independence, but she also wants connection. As Rita gains weight she feels happier in herself, but she’s judged by those around her of being slovenly. I mean, the work she puts in to learning to cook and actually cooking would say otherwise, but then that’s society for you.

I will say not to read this whilst you’re hungry. The descriptions of the food, it’s smell, texture, flavours - I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!

I’m glad I read this. It was a really interesting insight into Japanese culture, more so than ‘just’ a thriller. There were more food descriptions than murders, that’s for certain!!

I love how Japanese authors are completely mundane in their writing styles. They don't shy away from subject matters and it translates really well. This book is a great example of that, there is something super endearing about that.

This has been the book of the Summer for a reason, I couldn't recommend it more! It's best to not know much when venturing in, but be prepared for your stomach to rumble, with all of the mouth-watering descriptions of food that Yuzuki includes.

This book was AMAZING. It made me feel very hungry, so keep some snacks on your nightstand as you read this. Lots to think about women, their bodies, lust, food and more.

Manako Kajii's currently in jail for the murder; she has been convicted of killing lonely older men by seducing them with her cooking. Rika a journalist becomes intrigued with the story and with Manako herself, As Rika becomes slowly more obsessed with finding getting to the truth of the murders it becomes clear that Manako has either suffered a terrible miscarriage of justice or is spinning one more lie in order to trap another victim.

I was intrigued by this novel knowing that it was based on a true story and I wasn't disappointed. As the strange relationship between Manako and Rika developed I was enthralled and needed to know how the story ended. A gripping and thrilling novel; 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this and to begin with it was great, the more I read though the more it felt like it was more filler than storyline.

Not one i'd pick up for a second read unfortunately.

I wasnt sure what to expect from this book as it was so different from anything I had previously read, but I loved it, I wasnt sure whether I liked the main character at first but once more of the story came out it was clear there was more to her than it seemed at first. I loved it.