Rating: 3/5
Hooked by Asako Yuzuki is a perfect example of how interesting it can be to read a work initially written in a different language, for a completely different audience.
The novel follows two women plagued by the ailment of loneliness. They become each other’s only female friends, but for one of them, the friendship turns into obsession.
At its core, it is a character study of two flawed, complex individuals. What it also offers is an overview of the state of feminism in Japan written from the inside.
While these two aspects of the story started off incredibly strong, they ended up cancelling each other out. The feminist message was wrapped up too nicely in an out-of-character monologue, which ended up negating all the detailed characterization that had been built up. Yuzuki had me hooked most of the way, but the greatness of the novel ended up diluted.
