A review of a book about books starring a book-hater written by a bookworm. Books!
Part fantasy, part mystery, this young adult novel belongs to a subgenre of stories about getting literally “sucked into” a book, with a couple key distinguishing traits. First, instead of the protagonist going into the story, the story consumes reality, changing Yomunaga and its residents into the book’s world and characters. Second, our protagonist Mifuyu Mikura is a reluctant heroine who adamantly hates reading books.
As a bookworm myself, it’s a testament to Fukamidori’s character writing that I wound up loving “book-hater” Mifuyu. She’s written with sympathetic, sometimes humorous realism: a quarrelsome, impulsive, lonely 15-year-old whose words don’t always align with her actions or thoughts. She’s often apologizing for losing her temper or making thoughtless remarks, yet she’s also proactive and reliable under pressure, moving decisively where others hesitate. The contrast makes her an effective hero, pushing the story forward even as she gripes about it.
The Josei Next Door 