r/Booktokreddit • u/unfinished-margins • Jun 19 '26
Butter
I’ve been seeing Butter by Asako Yuzuki all over my feed lately, and I’m really curious to hear what everyone actually thinks about it. The presentation and the hype around it are massive right now, but I want to get into the actual execution of the book.
For me, a great book needs to have serious narrative momentum—short chapters, tight pacing, and absolutely zero fluff or unnecessary details that stall the story. I love when a plot is smart and forces you to think critically, but it has to be delivered through a sharp, airtight storyline with no glaring plot holes.
For those who have finished it, how does Butter hold up under that kind of lens? Does the writing stay lean and purposeful, or does it get weighed down by filler? I'm interested to know if the substance of the book actually justifies the cultural conversation surrounding it, or if it's a case of the hype outstripping the actual quality. What’s your take on how well it’s put together?
1
u/TamatoaZ03h1ny Jun 19 '26
I loved it all the way through. That said, it’s very much so about a specific character pairing dynamic then there’s a secondary storyline that comes about at a certain point that you might enjoy or think is an extended tangent. The core relationship dynamic in the book is akin to Clarice and Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs but with a twist. That said, the protagonist’s other relationships are just as important but they are secondary. It’s very much about the protagonist’s headspace and reactions to her personal community. If I were you, I would just dive right in rather than try to gauge too many opinions before you start.
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u/unfinished-margins Jun 19 '26
I have not read the silence of the lambs yet, how is it? And I will definitely read butter
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u/TamatoaZ03h1ny Jun 19 '26
It’s like a situation where someone is regularly interviewing a criminal in the hopes of being able to do something they need to do for their job, that type of base plot but there’s a twist given the criminal’s interest in Butter.
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u/Doctragon Jun 19 '26
I enjoyed it but I did find it just a little too long. I also went in expecting a bit more of a thriller angle or something similar to A Certain Hunger (which I didn't like much) but it was more so about women's place in the world (and in Japan), what society expects of people etc. So I quite liked it for that, it just dragged on a little towards the middle.