Diary of a Void

Author: Emi Yagi

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

Format: Physical

Publish Date: August 2022

Read: August 2024

Favorite Quote: The internet’s a great place for finding out about stuff you’re kind of interested in, but it can’t really help with the things you really want to know. It’s even worse for things you don’t know anything about.

Story Synopsis: Fed up with the implicit gender roles at work, one day, Shibata announces her pregnancy to her coworkers. The issue: she’s not actually pregnant. Over the next nine months, Shibata continues the charade, observing how she’s treated differently by her male coworkers and strangers. She downloads the apps, reads the books, and even goes to Mommy Aerobics and socializes with other moms - all in the name of a lie.

Why does this book beguile? The owner of my local bookstore told me about Diary of a Void, and it’s a wild ride. I thoroughly enjoyed that the reader knows, upfront, that pregnancy is a lie. What happens after the main character announces her pregnancy is mysterious. The reader is taken on a ride through Shibata’s inner world and thoughts, but so much is left open to interpretation/imagination.

Rating: 4/5

Link*: Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi

If you’re interested in this, read*: The Forest Brims Over by Maru Ayase