Language, Sympathy, Architecture, AI? Are they related? In Rei Qudan's Sympathy Tower Tokyo, they are. A book Review

 Book:  Sympathy Tower Tokyo

Author: Rei Qudan

Pages: 224

Available formats: hardcover paperback kindle

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

Genre: Translated Lit, Contemporary fiction, Literary fiction

Synopsis:

The award-winning, bestselling Japanese phenomenon. A propulsive, prophetic novel about the beauty of language and the nature of identity in the age of AI.

Welcome to the Japan of tomorrow. Here, the practice of a radical sympathy toward criminals has become the norm and a grand skyscraper in the heart of Tokyo is planned to house wrongdoers in compassionate comfort – Sympathy Tower Tokyo.

Acclaimed architect Sara Machina has been tasked with designing the city's new centrepiece, but is riven by doubt. Haunted by a terrible crime she experienced as a young girl, she wonders if she might inherently disagree with the values of the project, which should be the pinnacle of her career. As Sara grapples with these conflicting emotions, her relationship with her gorgeous – and much younger – boyfriend grows increasingly strained. In search of solace, in need of creative inspiration, Sara turns to the knowing words of an AI chatbot…

Awarded Japan's highest literary prize, Sympathy Tower Tokyo is an extraordinary novel from one of the most exciting new voices in world literature. Partly inspired by conversations with an artificial intelligence, it offers an extraordinary defence of the power of language written by humans, a touching exploration of the imaginative impulse, and an often hilarious send up of our modern world's unrelenting conformity.

Review:

Imagine being asked to design a skyscraper that isn’t just a building, but a philosophy: a prison built on empathy. That’s the premise of Sympathy Tower Tokyo, the Akutagawa Prize–winning novel by Rie Qudan, and honestly? It’s one of those books that makes your brain feel like it just ran a marathon—in the best way.
We follow Sara Machina, a celebrated architect in an alternate near-future Tokyo, tasked with building a 71-story “sympathy tower” where inmates are treated not as criminals but as products of their environment. The concept is both fascinating and terrifying: can radical empathy truly replace justice, or does it just blur the lines between compassion and accountability?
What makes the book even more meta is that Qudan admitted around 5% of it was written with AI—mostly the chatbot dialogue. It’s a clever trick, because it makes the AI sections in the book feel authentically hollow, showing how technology can mimic rhythm but not soul. Reading those parts gave me chills, like staring into a mirror that doesn’t quite reflect you back.
Beyond the tech gimmick, though, the novel digs into bigger questions: how language can be weaponized or softened through euphemisms, how architecture carries moral weight, and how a society that prides itself on tolerance can smother individuality. Sara is both glamorous and fragile, carrying personal trauma while shouldering a project that feels bigger than her humanity.
It’s not the easiest read—it’s dense, cerebral, and occasionally abstract. But if you like speculative fiction that forces you to wrestle with messy questions instead of handing you neat answers, this is exactly your kind of book.

Fiction or Reality:

If you're someone who is active on social media every-day, you might be aware of internet slang that were made for the soul purpose of dodging the algorithm have now become a part of our every-day conversations offline too, resulting in brain-rot and what not. The slangs don't only downplay the situation at hand but also with the increase of the use of AI. are making us dumb and illiterate. Once you start reading this book, you'll find the beautiful and artistic way with which the author explores all of that, how people around the world have started to find the intimacy of speaking your own language a bit too over whelming and find using a second language a much better decision. All of these aspects have been discussed in Sympathy Tower Tokyo, providing perfect food for thought.

Why You Should Read It:

If you’re into architecture-as-metaphor, this will be candy for your brain.
If you like stories that blur the line between human creativity and AI mimicry, it’s got that too.
And if you just want a novel that makes you pause, reread, and argue with yourself afterward—yeah, this one delivers.

Sympathy Tower Tokyo is not just a novel, it’s a provocation. It asks: what does true empathy cost us? And at what point does sympathy itself become a prison?

Themes & Takeaways

Language & Power: The novel critiques how Japanese society leans on katakana loanwords to soften or obscure meaning. Sara hates how the language has lost depth, turning labels into euphemisms 
Architecture as Symbol: The Tower becomes more than a structure—it’s a symbol of empathy, a social experiment and maybe a warning. Sara feels the weight of being both architect and moral arbiter
AI & Authorship: Fun twist—Qudan revealed about 5% of the novel was AI‑generated, specifically the chatbot dialogue and scenes where Sara interacts with an AI. That was super meta, since the story itself explores AI's limits & its effect on creativity and identity 
Readers on Goodreads and Reddit flagged how the AI-generated sections were clearly marked in-text, used to embody the AI's inability to self-reflect, and also how language shapes perception and society 

What it is: A provocative, near-future Tokyo novel about empathy‑based incarceration, architectural charisma, and how language and identity intertwine.
Why it hits: It’s intellectually ambitious, visually imaginative, and doesn’t shy from messy ethical and technological questions.
Shock factor: The author actually used AI to write a chunk of the book—blurring creator and creation in real life and on the page.

If you’re into speculative fiction that smacks you in the jaw with questions about ethics, language, and AI—this one’s your jam. It’s sorta tongue-in-cheek yet brutal in its seriousness. Sara Machina might be glamorous on paper, but she’s haunted and fragile underneath. The Tower? Equal parts utopia & dystopia—and exactly the kind of idea that’d keep me up at night.

hardcover paperback kindle

Women, Seated by Zhang Yueran: A Quiet Collapse in the Shadow of Power, ARC review

Book: Women, Seated

Author: Zhang Yueran

Ttranslated by: Jeremy Tiang

Pages: 208

Available formats: kindle hardcover

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

Genre: Literary fiction, Political Thriller, Translated Literature

Synopsis:

From the award-winning author, an enthralling novel about the unravelling lives of a nanny and the family she works for following the downfall of its patriarch, a prominent Chinese politician

Enter the world of an elite Chinese a life of luxury, limitless power, and around-the-clock service, which includes their trusted nanny Yu Ling. Slipping in and out of the shadows, careful to speak deferentially, meticulous in her care of their only son Kuan Kuan, Yu has served the family for years and knows their secrets. But little do they suspect that Yu has secrets of her own.

In the pressure-cooker political environment of China, the fates of even the most powerful families can reverse overnight. When Kuan Kuan’s father and grandfather are arrested and his socialite mother goes on the run, Yu is left behind to make a series of life-changing choices. Will she be able to outrun her own past, and how far will she go to claim what she considers her due?

Review:

This book??? Whispered its way into my bones and then refused to leave. Like, genuinely—I’m days removed and still looking at walls thinking about it.

Zhang Yueran masterfully drops us into the ruins of a powerful Beijing family, seen through the eyes of Yu Ling, a nanny who’s been invisible her whole life—until now. When the family's men are swallowed up in a political corruption scandal, Yu Ling is left with nothing… except for one fragile child and one completely unhinged goose.

And let me just say—Kuan Kuan?? My soft little emotional wrecking ball. His unbreakable bond with Yu Ling, the way he never doubts her, even when everything around him is screaming betrayal? That pure, quiet trust had me TEARING UP. In a house filled with secrets, lies, and silence, this child gives her something real—something she didn’t even know she needed.

Their dynamic isn’t overdone. It’s not sentimental. It’s just… true. And the way Yu Ling shoulders all that emotional weight while still protecting him, comforting him, trying to help him understand without breaking him? It’s motherhood in its rawest, most invisible form.

And yes. A goose, named Swan... can't blame Kuan Kuan, the do look quite similar...

And no, Swan is not just a random bird. It's an agent of pure chaos and emotional metaphor. It hisses. It bites. It gets involved in deeply sensitive moments like it owns the place. And somehow?? It works. As every icon, the goose had it own epic ending...

It's maybe comic relief, but also this bizarre, perfect symbolism of everything falling apart. There are a few moments where Kuan Kuan is talking to or refering to the goose but it fells like so much more than just a lonely kid talking to his new favorite bird. Like, the rich have lost control of their house and their pets. It’s giving “the center cannot hold” with feathers.

But back to the heart of the story, Yu Ling and Kuan Kuan. Their relationship is EVERYTHING. The way this child clings to her with an unwavering trust that no adult in the story deserves? It wrecked me. He doesn't care about politics or money or status—he just wants her. And she doesn’t think she’s worthy of that kind of devotion, but she still holds him tight anyway. Ugh. My poor  heart.

And while the house crumbles around her, Yu Ling experiences both betrayal and connection. There are moments of kindness from people she never expected. New friendships forming not from joy but necessity—and yet they still mean something. These aren’t happy friendships to be accurate but they’re survival bonds. They’re the kind you don’t realize meant everything until it’s too late. 

And yes, there are betrayals too. Ugly ones. The kind that aren’t shocking so much as they are disappointingly human. But even in the chaos, there are flickers of community, loyalty, and dignity. She’s no longer just surviving—she’s reclaiming something. 

But let's talk about the elephant in the room: THAT ENDING.

Bro. I don’t even know. I saw the callback, I connected the dots, but I still don’t get it. 

I finished the last page like 😐. Then reread it like 😳. Then stared at the wall like 🧍‍♀️. I know it circles back to something from earlier. I see the connection. But what does it MEAN?? Why does it feel like both a full stop and a question mark and maybe also a comma idk??? Even days later, I’ve got zero closure, infinite vibes, and one (1) emotional breakdown pending. Zhang doesn’t explain. She just… leaves you with it. And honestly? Power move.I still can’t figure out if it was brilliant, devastating, or just completely unhinged. Probably all three. Zhang Yueran said “closure is for the weak,” and I respect that—but also I need therapy now, thanks.

Major love to Jeremy Tiang, whose translation delivers all the precision and ache of Zhang’s prose while still letting the tension breathe. 

Quick Hits:

— Emotional caretaker energy

— Tiny child with unshakable loyalty

— Elite downfall but it’s slow and silent

— New friendships built in the rubble

— One chaotic goose that *absolutely* deserves a spin-off(imagine a book from swan's perspective, omg)

— Ending that will emotionally gaslight you for weeks

Have aneak peak at some quotes from "Women, Seated" on my Instagram acc, here.

Is she in danger, or is she the danger? read A Twist Of Fate by Sae-Ah Jang(translated by S.L. Park) to find out | ARC review

 Title: A Twist Of Fate 

Author: Sae-Ah Jang

Number of Pages: 352

Publishing Date: 29 July 2025

Available formats: hardcover kindle

Genre: Suspense, Crime Thriller, Murder Mystery, Asian Literature, Translated Literature

Synopsis:

Two women meet on a train. Each is running from a deadly secret. When one disappears, the other decides to take her place—for better, or for worse.

Jae-young has just left everything she’s ever known, not that it was much. Her thankless job, her infested apartment, her abusive boyfriend—who happens to be dead on the kitchen floor. Murder was never the way she envisioned leaving, but it was desperate times. Now, escaping her transgressions on a train to the bustling city of Seoul, Jae-young is just hoping to become invisible—safe.

On the train she meets a chatty mother with her infant son who seem to be running from a similarly harsh life with her unfaithful husband, hoping to find refuge with the in-laws she’s never met. To avoid further conversation, Jae-young excuses herself for a moment. When she returns, the woman is nowhere to be found, but her crying child remains with a note, pleading with Jae-young to take him to his grandparents in a remote province far from Seoul.

It’s not an ideal pitstop, but for the sake of the child she can’t ignore the request. When Jae-young arrives, the house takes her by surprise. It's a gated manor oozing with opulence and the finest luxuries. Having never met their grandchild or daughter-in-law before, the family assumes Jae-young is the boy’s mother and ushers her in. Then Jae-young There’s nothing more invisible than becoming someone else.

But both women have ghosts in their pasts. Jae-young may have no idea what lies rotten under the shiny veneer of her new life, but there's nothing she won't do to make sure she never goes back.

Review:

Disclaimer: This book holds the power to not only bring you back to your murder mystery/crime thriller obsession if you've strayed away from it(lie me...) but also to start your murder mystery/crime thriller obsession if you aren't already obsessed with them.

Imagine boarding a train to escape your past, only to accidentally step into someone else's life… and decide not to leave. A Twist of Fate by Sae-ah Jang is a slow-burning, chilling thriller that wraps you in silk and paranoia at the same time—and let me tell you, it does not let go.

If you love books where every character is a potential liar and every luxury setting feels like a trap—this book is gonna mess with your head in the best way.

Sae-ah Jang slays with atmosphere. The writing is elegant but sharp, like drinking your favorite warm tea but laced with poison. The manor is almost a character itself—haunting, cold, and full of things unsaid. And Jae-young? She’s a fascinating mess. Not quite a hero, not quite a villain, but deeply human. You’ll judge her. You’ll root for her. You’ll side-eye her every move. Same can be said for the young mother from the train. Both women show and represent many topics that have been deemed a taboo discussion topic, by our global society. 

The characters of the dead boyfriend and the rich fake brother-in-law are also well written and were even more dark, sick, and twisted than the women. I think that these two are the characters that Collen Hover was trying to achieve while writing/coming up with Ryle in It Ends With Us. When i say that every single character here is trying to bury down some secrets of their own... I ain't exaggerating anything. The multiple layers of this book and all of it's characters(the main and the side characters) will have you second guessing your own second, third, fourth guess(and many others that you'll keep making until the very end for sure).

The slow pacing may not work for everyone, but if you’re here for that creeping sense of dread—the kind that builds in your stomach like thunder before a storm—this is it. Even with the slow pacing the book is written in such a epic , smooth, and intriguing way, that once you are hooked you won't even realize it and you'll already find yourself reading the very last chapters. Last but not the least, a shout-out to S.L. Park for the translation; the prose flows naturally, but never loses that eerie, K-thriller tone.

 Themes to Look Out For:

Identity & performance

Domestic suspense + found family gone wrong

Class divide (poor woman faking her way into the 1%)

Grief, motherhood, and the lies we cling to

The classic “is she dangerous or in danger?” tension

Content Warnings:

Domestic abuse (past)

Death of a partner (off-page)

Psychological trauma

Child neglect (minor subplot)

Final Verdict:

If Parasite and Rebecca had a psychological baby and dressed her in luxury Korean fashion—this would be her. A Twist of Fate is suspenseful, morally grey, and dripping in slow-burn tension. It’s not loud. It doesn’t shout. It whispers. And that whisper will live rent-free in your brain for days after the final page. For the fans of Verity by Colleen Hoover (but make it classier and add a well written Ryle), My Lovely Wife, The Housekeeper, or K-drama thrillers like Mine, The Glory, Parasite and Little Women (the 2022 one, not the March sisters).

Would I recommend it?

Absolutely—but don’t go in expecting twists on every page. This is a psychological unravelling, not a plot rollercoaster. It’s for patient readers who love watching someone slowly lose their grip on reality… while sipping tea in a designer robe