This is a really interesting book. It made me think about things I hadn’t considered before - particularly how the view of disability may differ country by country. It’s an odd book. I can’t really describe if I liked it or not. I am not usually keen on books with such a large focus on sex. You should read it though. It’s well written, and then you can decide what you think.

I seem to be in a minority here but what I read didn't seem to match up with the synopsis. I mean it was very very quick (30 min read!) and I didn't DNF but it just wasn't for me.

When I first started reading this I thought I'd accidentally requested to read a smut-lit book but it turns out it was just what the protagonist did for fun. Shaka was born with congenital muscle disorder and lived in a group home found and paid for by her deceased parents. Whiling away the hours writing erotic fiction, Shaka had thoughts and questions about things she wanted to experience that able-bodied women could, that she wanted to post on social media but she saved them to her drafts, until she didn't. A care worker at the home found her online postings and offered her what she wanted at price.

I didn't enjoy this much, mainly because I felt that there wasn't much of plot, mostly the personal views of a disabled woman. The story petered out to no satisfaction and left me wondering whether it needed more substance. I didn't think Shaka's feelings and thoughts were farfetched by any means, but the whole story felt more like a longread fiction piece rather than a novel.

Shaka Isawa’s spine is twisted so deeply that her lungs struggle to take in oxygen. She uses an electric wheelchair most of the time. Shaka gets paid to write erotica online and studies at university, both from the privacy of her own room. She is the owner of the care facility that she resides in, thanks to her wealthy parents, and donates all of the money she makes from her writing to food banks and shelters. She secretly posts her deepest, darkest wishes under a pseudonym online: she would like to experience an abortion.

The beginning of this book was so well written that I thought I had downloaded the wrong file! Each element of this story was expertly crafted and expertly interwoven throughout the text. The story prods the reader into considering the current climate for disabled people, and how poorly constructed our current society is. I would highly recommend this book to everyone, especially able-bodied people with no experience of physical disability.

4/5 stars

This was a short yet not easy read! It was the first time I read from the POV of a heavily physically disabled person, and was really insightful to read about her daily life, thoughts and struggles, with the Japanese culture backdrop added in as well. Fascinating and very necessary novel!

I can see this being a polarising book. For me it was a fascinating read, both a realistic portrayal of a disabled person and the small glimpse into Japanese culture. I want to read from this author again.