This book hurt to read. Like there was so much wonderful about this. It was really an indictment of the Japanese justice system when it comes to its treatment of rape victims. The way Ito was treated was awful to hear about, and the fact that she managed to survive it all and tell her story is so commendable.

Something that struck me about this was how dispassionate her tone felt at times. She was talking about herself and her trauma in such stark, almost bland ways, like it was so painful she couldn't fully open herself up to it in her own writing. It hurt my heart so bad to read. Like that's not a negative point at all. I read Chanel Miller's memoir last year and she wrote beautifully and graphically about her pain, and opened her heart. Ito takes the opposite approach, sharing the bare bones, the facts, and speaking about her own pain from a distance. It was equally powerful, just in a different way.

Something else that hurt was how defensive she was of every single action she took. You could really see the affects that the justice system and media had on her, questioning and accusing her at every turn. Ito is constantly explaining herself, even down to fairly obvious reasoning. Again, not a negative, just something that really illustrated her experience that I don't think was entirely intentional.

This book almost felt like a police investigation in some ways. The police basically refused to investigate for her, so she investigated for herself. She interviewed witnesses, obtained correspondences, documented all the evidence she could find to prove her case. She puts in so much effort that she barely has anything left to take care of herself.

I'm not sure how I felt about the translation. The writing frequently felt a little stilted and didn't flow smoothly for me. I adjusted as time went on, but it never really felt 'right,' if that makes sense. I don't know if that comes from Ito or the translation. But that was a pretty minor issue.

Overall this was fantastic. I adored this book. I highly recommend, regardless of if you're Japanese. Even though so much of the book is specifically about the Japanese justice system, it's unfortunately a story that relates to most areas of the world and Ito tells it wonderfully. My heart breaks for her, and I think many people would benefit from hearing her story.