“Someone to Watch Over You” by Kumi Kimura is a cozy, quietly atmospheric read. It has this calming vibe that’s perfect for when you’re in the mood for something subtle and mysterious. The story moves at a slower pace, which I actually kind of liked, but it doesn’t really have any big surprises or moments that stand out. It’s not exceptional, but it’s still a peaceful, enjoyable read if you’re into quieter, more reflective books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

It’s a gripping piece, a menacing variation on a slice-of-life story that sometimes reads like an off-kilter thriller. Kimura consciously builds on real-life incidents: her own past protesting military installations; a news piece about a man who mysteriously burned to death in early 2020. But her focus is very much on atmosphere and states of mind, as well as constructing a portrait of Japan as challenging and essentially alienating. A place comprised of tight-knit, judgemental communities, riddled with rigid conventions, a space where it’s relatively easy for anyone who doesn’t quite conform to be relegated to the periphery.

Someone to Watch Over You
by Kumi Kimura
Translated from Japanese by Yuki Tejima
Genre: Literary Fiction
Pages: 144
Rating: 5/5

The title describes the book's ethos to the hilt, everyone, even the loneliest of soul, needs someone to watch over us, and by hook or crook, we always find that someone, if not in humans, then in gods and dogs. This novella doesn't feature any pet or dog, these references comes from my analysis of the themes in Someone to Watch Over You.

The setting of the novella is the beginning of the Covid pandemic; like many workers then, the two protagonists have returned from Tokyo to their hometowns and are mostly living isolated, masked lives. The crux of the story lies in the relationship that forms between the two, a forty-six years old woman, Tae and a thirty-four years old man, Shinobu; their relationship highlights our need for companionship even when we are running away from the world.

The novella has an unsettling atmosphere, created by the pandemic of course, but also by the inner state of the minds of the protagonist, both of whom have secrets plaguing their minds, and are living a life of uncertainty heralded by the Covid. Tae is OCD driven, Shinobu exists almost at the edges of society.

I am not sure if the characters are actively going through an existential crisis, they are mostly too embroiled in their current situations to reflect too deep; but reading their story will surely make readers pause and explore the anxiety, dread, alienation and despair that accompanies such pondering. Or is it not an existential crisis but a mental health condition that plagues the two, especially Shinobu who's losing his strength and appetite? The novella doesn't answer these questions, readers will have to find the answers themselves, through their own life experiences and understanding, and it is here that the ultimate beauty of the novel resides.

At a very personal level, I was quite creeped out when I found some juvenile blackmailing stints reassuring for the protagonist, because those stints also says that someone is watching over the protagonist, that they are not alone.

The writing style is minimal, it leaves a lot of space for introspection, which is a characteristic seen in many East Asian fictions like Japanese and Korean. And true to this characteristic, the novella is rich in its 'show, not tell' emotional exploration of the two protagonists. The characters and their stories draw in the readers deep into the pages, to the extent that at one point I felt as if everything was actually unfolding in front of my eyes.

What is surprising is that despite diving deep into unsettling emotions and atmosphere, this book leaves readers with a sense of standstill peace—a pause that brings some kind of comfort. I can also tell you why this happens, but it will lead to a spoiler.

My thanks to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for offering me a free copy of this novella in lieu of an honest review.

Q: Do I recommend Someone to Watch Over You by Kumi Kimura to my fellow readers?
A: Absolutely ❤️

A pandemic novel where two lonely people come together due to their similar difficult backgrounds. Typically I love the quiet nature of Japanese fiction but this book was almost too quiet in that I didn’t understand what was happening half the time. A solid book but I wouldn’t highly recommend it.

A weird pandemic novel. Two lonely people end up together and become even more paranoid and loopy. I’m not sure what I was supposed to take from this. Something about Japanese society I guess.

An unusual tale set during the very bizarre lockdown years, through the lens of very unreliable narrators with you left wondering what is the truth and what is the lie? Does the handyman even exist is he just a figment of imagination or is he not who he says he is?

Thank you netgalley and Pushkin Press for the e-ARC. I'd recommend to those who enjoy Murata's Earthlings as Someone to Watch Over You has a similar uncanny if not bizarre twist and turns where you are left uncomfortable and questioning the truth and reliability of the narrator.

This was a quirky and kooky book. Minimalist in plot - which isn't a bad thing, and very atmospheric. The prose creates the feeling of unease and uncertainty that surrounds the characters and the world they inhabit.

At times I struggled to understand characters motives, but I didn't find this affected my enjoyment of the book.

Both characters are trying to conceal their pasts, which added to the sense of paranoia throughout the book. This was compounded by the impact of the virus.

It was a curious and enjoyable read. It left me with some questions, but I think this added to.the overall experience.

Definitely an interesting read. In a post-covid world now I do admire how spot-on the feelings of isolation and fear that were felt at the time.

The writting is very straightforward and easy to read. I did enjoy the 2-character POV. The book is focused on our two main characters: Tae and Shinobu; Shinobu being a handyman and continuing to come up into Tae’s life because of her different help requests. The thing is both of them have something from their past which fills them with guilt and worry on the current day.

The ending made me give a lower score as I felt with all of the build up it was created then we are left with nothing.

3.25 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

There was a certain tension throughout, which I feel mimicked the unease throughout the lockdowns many of us experienced during the Covid 19 pandemic. I felt that this was extremely effective, giving a strong sense of what was going on at the time.

The two main characters, Tae and Shinobu, were simultaneously repulsed and intrigued by each other. The push and pull of their seemingly random connection enhanced the oppressive, uncomfortable atmosphere. It turns out that they probably have more in common than they even realise - however, they essentially remain as strangers to each other. It was almost like the Pandemic was the perfect excuse to keep each other at arms length while still benefitting from what they could offer each other.

There were a few parts that I did not enjoy - that of Shinobu and his young niece. Nothing particular happened, but his thought-processes were pretty grim and only served to make him a more creepy character. I didn't warm to either him or Tae, though the descriptions of their odd habits kept me interested for the most part.

Overall this was as unsettling as it was promised to be, but I think it could have gone further in exploring the themes of loneliness, isolation and unusual human connections.

Generally I don't like reading books about important worldwide events I myself experienced. At the same time I have a huge weakness for Japanese literary fiction. This quite short story is about loneliness, about isolation, something we all experienced and it really hit close to home. On the other hand it still carries the weirdness and tense atmosphere a lot of books from this category have, it pulls you into this weird trance you get out way after finishing the book, it makes you spiral, makes you feel unsettled and what more could you want from a bizarre Japanese novella.

I have steered clear of books that reference the pandemic as it feels too much like recent history but Someone to Watch Over You is a book I am glad I broke this rule for. I thought the simplicity of the writing perfectly expressed the two characters and their sentiments. Often, I find with short books that I don't fully connect or understand the characters but that was not the case here. It constantly kept me guessing as to what was going to happen next without straying into the realms of the unlikely.

Someone to Watch Over You is a very strange novel that lies firmly in the Japanese literary fiction genre.

The story follows two misfits - Tae, a schoolteacher who has been blamed for the death of a student and who now spends her days in fear of reprisals and Shinobu, a former security guard turned handyman who knocked a protestor over causing her death.

The pair find each other during Covid and quickly form a strange bond that strengthens over the months that follow as they try to absolve themselves of their guilt.

The atmosphere throughout this novella is extremely claustrophobic not only using the fear of infection from strangers but also the threat from those who hold them responsible for the deaths they have been accused of causing.

They are both strange and isolated characters whose connection is permanently under strain and all this culminates in a disturbing but compelling story that is hard to stop reading.

Recommended for fans of Japanese literary fiction.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the advance review copy.

The novel had a constant partner in the form of a grey cloud, hovering over its every syllable—yet the minimalist style of writing leaves the reader praying for a twist in fate, for once in favour of the leading characters.

In a dash to escape from their troubled past, the paths of a handyman and a former schoolteacher converge by fate in a world fraught with the effects of the coronavirus. Trading privacy for safety, the two protagonists live a lonely life at opposite ends of the same house, each playing the role of a stipulated observer to the other, never interfering through action or speech.

Themes of Isolation and Mistrust

In a world filled with mistrust, trust becomes a commodity—hoarded like food and tissues—taken without careful inspection in the name of 'mutual beneficence.' The detachment forces the reader to understand the dynamic of the protagonists in subtle actions and words unspoken. Are you really in exile if you are with someone? Despite distress and distrust, the need for even a small community is evident.

Writing Style

Though a quick read in terms of page count, the novel is emotionally dense. Its minimalist style strips away excess, leaving behind raw emotion and quiet tension, whether in a shopping centre or within the confines of the protagonists’ home. The atmosphere remains heavy throughout, mirroring the uncertainty and isolation of the pandemic itself.

An Open-Ended Conclusion

The ending was inconclusive and open-ended, mirroring the lives of so many during the global pandemic. As much as we'd like to know "why Shinobu did not eat" among other unanswered questions, the novel suggests that not everything has a reason just as we all had peculiar habits during the lockdown.

Conclusion

The book does not seek to offer solace through an uplifting moral or a happy ending. Instead, it delves into raw emotion and human impulse in times of hardship and paranoia. It pushes the reader to question what kind of person they would have been in their place—and whether that identity is genuine or merely a transient reaction destined to fade into memory.

Thank you, Kumi Kimura, Asa Yoneda, Pushkin Press, and NetGalley for the digital copy. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The story is set during the initial months of the pandemic. Tae and Shinobu experience isolation for different reasons and slowly form a symbiotic relationship when Tae hires Shinobu for a handyman job. They begin to rely on each other and even end up living in the same space, though divided from one another in separate bubbles, establishing forms of communication that don't rely face to face contact, due to paranoia over the virus. Both long for comfort and need things that the other can provide. It is a microcosm for the pandemic as a whole and how people within communities dealt with the isolation and loneliness it created whilst still needing others to do their part to keep society running.

There is an overall atmosphere of brooding isolation, fear, paranoia and claustrophobia. It is very much a pandemic story, highlighting some of the worst negative feelings experienced by people within that initial year and specifically how this impacted the lives of the two protagonists. There is also commentary on how communities turned against people that they deemed to pose a greater risk.

What makes this story interesting from a character perspective is that the two are burdened by similar guilt caused by actions in their past. They grapple with this alone and in very different ways as their pasts come back to haunt them at the same time. Tae makes assumptions due to paranoia, causing her to become socially isolated and reclusive. She has conversations in her head where she assumes the worst of how people view her. Her burden of guilt leads to fear for her own safety. Shinobu on the other hand is presented with somewhat more questionable morals. Unlike Tae, his ostracisation is not his own choice. His burden of guilt leads him to become a danger to himself as he finds ways to relieve the pressure. The two different reactions and approaches to their own guilt felt very typical within Japanese gender roles and constructs.

It is a slow, delicate and grounded story. Information regarding the characters' pasts is sparsely drip fed to the reader throughout, allowing a slow understanding of the weight that each carries, though never providing full assurance of their innocence in their past actions or an idea of their true personalities. There is a constant feeling that information is being withheld and both characters undergo processes of cognitive dissonance to justify their actions as they relive the past. The fact that we never truly know them is symbolic of how divided they are and how they never truly know each other. This detachment is also required for the atmosphere of dread and uncertainty and for the mystery over their pasts. However, I would have preferred to be able to empathise with them a little more and ended up feeling somewhat detached from them.

The prose is minimalist and sparse, though the translation by Asa Yoneda reads well and does a very good job of retaining the nuisances of Japanese culture. Interestingly, many original Japanese words are retained in Romanised form. It would be worthwhile looking up anything that you don't initially understand if you aren't overly familiar with Japanese culture, as comprehension of the story could be lost if the words were to be skipped over. For example, not knowing that a fusuma is a sliding partition door that can be used to divide rooms, you may initially think there are scenes where the two characters are in the same room and sharing the same space when they are in fact isolated from each other due to the screen.

The ending is extremely ambiguous which some may find frustrating. However, I felt that the ambiguity fed the paranoia in a satisfying way and it felt very much filtered through the perspective of one of the characters.

Overall, the story is an interesting character study on guilt and dependence, filtered through the unique modifiers brought about by the pandemic and the way in which individuals and communities struggled to adjust.

Excellent. Very poignant and interesting to read especially in a post-covid world. Really enjoyed it.

"Would the world look different when he woke up tomorrow?"

Kumi Kimura's upcoming novella is set in early 2020, when the world is in chaos as covid spreads, two lonely people, both seeking to break with their pasts, meet and start sharing a home. A former teacher accused of driving a student to suicide asks a former security guard who was captured on video knocking down a protester who died soon after, to move in with her as she feels unsafe. Life for these two is tense, they communicate by avoiding direct contact through notes and their shared presences, close yet distant. Their odd connection, with neither affection nor trust, brings them a kind of privacy and safety they both need but it comes at a cost.

This novella brings back the days of Covid, the many little things people did to keep socially distant and coped with isolating within their homes. The dynamic of these two characters was interesting to explore. The atmosphere at their home was highly intense with fear at every turn. Both of these characters are trying to cope with a heavy guilt while dealing with the circumstances that had brought them together.

At times it felt nostalgic and unsettling. The way in which the author has written this novella is beautiful yet quite dark.

I did enjoy reading this one, it was a quick reflective story.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one...

The writing was very choppy and jumped around a lot that it made it difficult to follow. I just was not as interested in this story or the characters as I wanted to be.

This was unsettling and at times claustrophobic to read. The man and the woman featured in this book are both carrying guilt with them for previous mistakes in life, and as a result are drawn to each other. I enjoyed the writing and its easy, simple style. While the plot wasn’t massively interesting, it still kept me motivated to finish the story. The ambitious ending was a little bit of a let down, but overall a different and unusual read.

“Someone to Watch Over You”, for me, was a quite thought-provoking and insightful read. Set in early 2020 in Japan during the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nature of loneliness and the desire for human connection - perhaps against one’s own conscious will - is examined. Shinobu and Tae, through two very different circumstances, have both been accused of causing the death of someone else and have suffered the social and emotional consequences of such an allegation. The two come together for a working relationship that is beneficial in different ways for each of them, although their interactions are limited by fear of the spread of the virus. The ending, for me, was vague and open for interpretation, which I greatly enjoyed.

This book was very sharp and reflective. Taking place during covid, and reflecting on connections made and lost during this time, these character studies were very tense, complex, and emotional.

This was unsettling, smart, and disruptive, and very beautifully written.