When I listened to this book in my car, my kid was in the backseat absorbed in her own world, and I was smiling and laughing at this deadpan voice set in Japanese society. And then, I was yelling things back at the audiobook, like "Keiko, don't do it!" and "okay, yes, woman, thank you." I warmed to the character (and the narrator that inhabited her, Nancy Wu) pretty quickly: as a girl she doesn't fit in, and her worldview isn't the same as everyone else's, though she knows it. She takes pride in her job as a convenience store employee, and her acute observations help her to navigate social expectations. I felt a kinship in the way Keiko would admire the clothes of a friend of hers, and shop in the same store; or change the lilt of her voice to those around her. I did this a lot as a new girl at school growing up: observe and assimilate. I grew out of it (did I?), but it's not a bad or nefarious routine on a small scale. And so she continues her particular way of life, and all is fine until Shiraha, a despicable man, starts working alongside her and they make a deal.

Keiko might not be 'normal' according to society, but the novel questions what is normal or if that social definition should be so constricting. This novel made my drive fly by, while also making me run the gamut of emotions from sadness to anger to happiness within a short time span. It left me with a lot to think about, too. I'm going to need more Murata books translated into English.