The Lost Souls of Benzaiten

by Kelly Murashige

A fantastical and heartfelt debut, quirky and transportive, that follows a young outcast on a journey of transformation . . . into a robot vacuum cleaner

"I wish to become one of those round vacuum cleaner robots." That's what Machi writes while praying at the altar of Japanese goddess Benzaiten. She writes it because ever since her two best friends Angel and Sunny decided they want nothing to do with her, Machi hasn't been able to speak. After months and months of online school and seeing different therapists, Machi still hasn't uttered a word, and she can no longer see the point of being human. But she doesn't expect Benzaiten to actually hear her prayer, much less offer a to show Machi all the beauty of humanity, ultimately restoring her voice.

Benzaiten is enamored with the human world—possibly a little too enamored—and, as she's the goddess of love, humanity is enamored right back. Being second-best to another friend isn't helping Machi move past her trauma, and with each adventure they share, Machi is reminded of everything she's lost. It isn't until Machi starts interacting with the souls of the dead—a phenomena of spending so much time around a goddess—that she starts to understand pain can serve a purpose. And when she really stops to take a look around her, she realizes the potential for happiness, and for closure, has been there all along.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology, Mental Health, Fiction, Magical Realism, Teen

304 pages, Hardcover

First published July 23, 2024

About the author

Born and raised in Hawaiʻi, Kelly Murashige (she/her) is a writer, reader, and dreamer. She specializes in contemporary fiction with fantastical twists based on Japanese mythology and culture. Though she can be shy, she loves obsessing over books and video games.

Her debut YA contemporary fantasy novel, THE LOST SOULS OF BENZAITEN, released on July 23, 2024 with Soho Teen. Her sophomore YA speculative novel, THE YOMIGAERI TUNNEL, released on July 1, 2025 with Soho Teen.

You can see more at her website, https://www.kellymurashige.com/, and check out her newsletter at https://kellymurashige.substack.com/.

Please note: This Goodreads account is not closely monitored. If you would like to contact this author, please do so on her website. Thank you. :)

Reviews

[Quill&Queer]

SHE'S PRAYING TO BECOME A VACCUUM CLEANER? ARE WE TALKING A HENRY OR A ROOMBA I NEED ANSWERS

[green ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Soho Teen for making my wish come true (haha), and providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

God this hit hard. It was well and truly such an incredible experience. Please read this upon release, you won't regret it, I promise you that!!

Kelly Murashige you have truly created something as close to perfect a book can get.

[Kelly Murashige]

QUICK DISCLAIMER: This is the only thing I will be doing on Goodreads. I'm basically dropping this information, then scampering away like a hyperactive terrier. Thank you for reading. :) Please also be sure to check out the content warnings at the bottom. These are also in the book itself.
--
Oh, hi. Hello. This is my book. It was originally set to come out in fall 2024, but its publication date is now set for July 23, 2024. Can you believe that? (Update: Now, as of November 2023, it also has a BEAUTIFUL cover by Yuta Onoda and the Soho team. I'm so in love with it.)

To everyone adding this book, and to the people who have already shelved and shown excitement for it: Thank you so much. I may have freaked out a little. I'm probably going to continue to freak out as the release date approaches.

I'm really not good at making announcements or talking about THE LOST SOULS OF BENZAITEN, maybe because a part of me still can't believe it's real, but seeing people voting on lists and adding it to their TBRs has meant the world to me.

I can't WAIT to share Machi's story with you. If you want more from me, you can check out my website at https://www.kellymurashige.com and subscribe to my newsletter at kellymurashige.substack.com/.

Thank you so much for being here.

P.S. I always pictured Machi wanting to be a little round robot vacuum cleaner, but I'm pretty sure she would be happy being any kind at all. <3
--
Content warnings: This book contains depictions of struggles with mental health, including feelings of hopelessness; death, grief, and loss, including those of teenagers, children, and infants; and details of a car accident. Though this is, ultimately, a hopeful book, if reading about these subjects may be harmful to you, please take a moment, ensure you have a healthy support system, and, if necessary, take this book off your reading list for now. I wish you all the best.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lovely debut chronicles the struggles of a teen who hasn’t spoken in a year. She prays at a shrine to be turned into a robot vacuum.

Alternately funny, poignant, sweet, heartbreaking, and uplifting. The character growth was heartwarming and the relationship building was wonderful!

This book would appeal to anyone who ever experienced a difficult friend breakup, or really anyone who ever was (or maybe still is) a teenager.

A beautiful story well told. ♥️

[Meli F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for providing early access to a digital copy.

Let me share what I loved about this book:

The premise: A girl prays to become a cleaner robot, and a goddess responds with a counteroffer. Who are they? Why is she praying for this? What's the counteroffer? Intrigued? Yeah, I was too!

The caring and compassionate portrayal of heavy topics like grief, loss, and mental health struggles. Without rose-colored glasses or exaggeration, but with respect, sober eyes, and a ton of love and understanding.

The hopeful tone. Yes this story touches some heavy themes. At the same time, it has second chances, forgiveness, closure, and personal growth, which is totally uplifting!

The Japanese mythology elements of the story: Okay, confession time—I'm a huge fan of books that lead me to research new topics, and I love learning about different cultures around the world. So, whenever a book offers me that opportunity (I didn't know about the Seven Lucky Gods), I can't help but love it!

It's important to note that while the book is categorized as YA, the conflicts, behaviors, and motivations of our main character felt more middle-grade to me. So, as expected, this story leans more towards the "tell, not show" style of narrative often found in that category.

Now, let’s get real for a sec because I promised an honest opinion, and that's what I'm going to give.
For the love of everything that's good and nice READ THE CONTENT WARNINGS

In case it's not clear, this is code for *I haven't been this triggered in a LONG time.* But that's not the author's or the publisher's fault. It's totally on me.

Just to let you know, some parts are tough to handle if you're not mentally prepared (or if you have personal experience on the subject). Like "sobbing and having to stop reading because it's too much" hard 😭 Definitely a heads-up for sensitive readers out there.

So, please don't be like me and check those first pages, OK?

Standing ovation to the author 👏👏👏 who posted one of the most compassionate statements on the matter I've ever read on Goodreads.

[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: mentions of racism, traumatic/selective mutism, mentioned alcoholism, fatal car accident, theme of child death, addiction in a minor
3.3

If you're a fan of the kind of book all about rediscovering the joy of being alive, then I recommend picking this one up. It manages that theme without veering into becoming sappy. This is a story all about remembering how lucky you are to be here, and all the things you have to look forward to.

The other nice thing about this story, is the nonverbal main character. There aren't many books with main characters who are nonverbal, either permanently or temporarily, and I particularly liked getting to see someone whose ability to speak revolved around her trauma/emotions, as it's something I can identify with.

However, this book just went a little wide in my opinion. The addition of the lost children helped in some way, but also added a whole other layer that felt like it didn't really work well with the main theme, and then ended quickly with an overly net wrap up. I'm usually not a big fan of epilogues, but I feel like this needed on to be satisfying.

Also, I know that many people, myself included, picked this up because of the absurdity of someone wishing to be a roomba, but I was left disappointed there. It never felt like an actual plot point, and while it was obviously a stand in, or her way of communicating, her suicidal ideation, it doesn't really get explored beyond random mentioning that she was so sad she wanted to be a vacuum cleaner.

Pre-review comments below
to be come a what....?

[Jessica]

Lovely look at mental illness, loss, what it means to be a daughter, and finding where you fit in the world and your family. Also, there's a goddess!

*I am not rating books read for the World Fantasy Award.*

[zolarex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ta książka zabiła we mnie chęci do czegokolwiek

[brontësaurus · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.25 stars**
this book felt meaningful in a way i can't quite articulate.

reading this was so peaceful and comforting. the plot is about a girl, machi, who has lost her voice due to a fallout with her best friends. i actually really loved that this was the reason behind it. machi's grief resulting from these events felt painful and lived-in, but not dramatized despite the drastic nature of her actions. it doesn't at all feel absurd that machi should choose to no longer speak because of this--not when this heartbreak, which might seem so simple on the surface, is explored. i think that this book really shows how important others' opinions and validation are to us, and that is something very important to portray in ya especially.

this book wasn't a favorite of mine. the writing style was nice and great for a ya audience but didn't really possess any qualities that stood out to me. however, it was enjoyable to read and the messages this book carries definitely make it worth the read. it's quite underrated and deserves more recognition from younger audiences.

overall, this book was a great way to wrap up the year. thanks for reading, and happy new year.

[Isla McKetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so hard. Murashige did such a great job of reminding me how HUGE feelings can be when you are young. The characters are so believable and the action unfolds both naturally and in ways that I would never have expected (that also still felt natural). I hope my son will want to read this someday. It's healing.

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recieved an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a therapist and the main character going to therapy is a big thing in this book, so I have Personal Opinions (TM), and I think overall that part was done quite well! Obviously every therapist is different, fictional or otherwise, but I liked how he was almost a neutral character in this story. He could've easily be made the villain "speak now or else", and he wasn't, which I appreciate. Teenager clients being brought to therapy by their parents are a whooooole can of worms and I think the nuances in the relationship between Machi and her therapist were accurate.
As for the story itself: I'm slowly gravitating away from fantasy because I haven't been able to find stories that keep blowing my mind the way they did when I first got into the genre, so I thought this was just okay, but that's fine. The fantasy elements moved the story along well enough, even if I think the baby subplot in the end was a little weird and offputting. The same message could've been conveyed in a thousand different ways than a surprise baby. I would've loved to see more of the male god, maybe a parallel relationship between him and Machi when she started to realize Benzaiten was doing wrong, more than the one-off conversation we got in the end.
The last few chapters were a bit "and then everyone clapped". Which, like, okay. You want a happy ending to your story. But some of the connections Machi was making with people felt like they came out of nowhere because they didn't have enough time to develop.

[christinac_reads]

DNF (for now, maybe) at Chapter 6 cause I felt a little uncomfortable with the tone of the book on how all the characters, incluidng the diety, kept trying to "fix her" selective mutism to cope with her PTSD and depression and repeatedly forcing her to talk or being disrespectful to her when she doesnt. Personally, I think that healing through psychological and cognitive disability is one thing but “fixing” someone who turns nonverbal but still communicates via written word and forcing them to speak verbally is another. Might pick this back up again later on to see if there's a tonal shift after chapter 6 but I'll DNF for now cause I don't have the spoons.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Machi's greatest wish is to be a robot vacuum cleaner. Based on just that, I honestly didn't know what direction this book was going to take, but I very much enjoyed the journey.

This was a simultaneously quirky and beautiful story about loneliness and identity. It was a lot more heartfelt and introspective than I had thought it was going to be given the description.

Definitely will be looking for other books by this author in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Zoë · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. So I got my hands on an ARC :)

For a YA novel, I really enjoyed this! I loved basically the entire cast of primary and secondary characters, and for such a short novel there is quite a bit of complexity to a lot of the recurring cast.

I think this book does a good job at handling darker topics for a teenaged audience. The main character is struggling with depression and passive suicidal ideation for a majority of the book, and she has a very nihilistic view of herself and her existence in the world. Even with all that, there is a big focus on second chances, forgiveness, closure, and learning to take steps towards a better future.

Plot wise, I feel that lot of the primary conflict, and characters reactions to said conflict, came across as realistic, and it was interesting to see Machi working through her trauma via the journal responses to her therapist as well as through her adventures with Benzaiten. On top of that, I think the use of some Japanese folklore adds a fun dimension to the story that helps it feel more original.

Final positive note, this book has some better pacing than I have read in a hot minute! It drags a touch in the middle, but the opening is great and the pacing for the climax, falling action, and resolution was incredibly good.


That being said, I did have some issues/annoyances with this book — although, most were some flavour of nit-picky.

Full disclosure, I've been falling out of YA more and more over the last few years. There’s nothing against YA specifically, I’ve just personally found that stories written to fit within the constraints of YA tend not to be as developed as I would like. There has also come to be a lot of little things about this particular writing level that tend to irk me more often than not

You can definitely tell that this book is a debut YA novel, particularly in some of the writing choices and plot conventions. This book is a little to heavy on ‘telling’ for me, I would've enjoyed a bit more showing or just better incorporation of the telling. It’s more noticeable in Machi’s journal entries, but there are serval times throughout the novel where you can tell when then author is highlighting something specific she wants you to take away from the book, or something that will be important to plot or characterization later.

There are several things I wish were expanded upon more, while there were also several things I wish weren’t focus as much on others. One particular instance being that there’s an entire subplot of racism throughout the story that feels very forced and extremely surface level. It reads almost like it was put in after the rest of the book was written just to add another layer of drama to the storyline surrounding Machi’s parents. It stood out like a sore thumb every single time it was mentioned, and it didn't really add anything to the rest of the novel or the central theme of trauma recovery.


Overall, I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quicker YA read who likes Japanese mythology or an exploration of trauma/trauma recovery! I’m glad I was able to get my hands on an ARC, and I’m curious to see what Murashige writes next 🤗

[Aline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kelly Murashige's debut is a captivating blend of fantasy and introspection, whisking readers into a world where prayers to a Japanese goddess take unexpected turns. Machi's journey from outcast to robot vacuum cleaner is a quirky and heartfelt exploration of identity and resilience. Murashige weaves Japanese mythology with themes of mental health, inviting readers to ponder the nature of happiness and the power of self-discovery. With its imaginative premise and poignant narrative, "The Lost Souls of Benzaiten" is a refreshing addition to the young adult fantasy genre. 🌟

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the loveliest story I've read in a long time. I love Machi and I want to give her a hug. Machi's journey is nicely interspersed with Japanese mythology, and her friendship with the goddess Benzaiten is the highlight.

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5✨ as a introvert growing up around extroverts I was always know as the weirdo, I empathize a little too much with matchi. Her journey is her own with different traumas but similar to mine minus the cool goddess and street rats.

[Kara Louie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Very unique character growth throughout this book. I love that this was about friendship rather than just a relationship for a teen. The importance is sometimes forgotten by adults but it is all of life to teenagers sometimes, regardless of how strong a family support they have.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable coming of age story.

[Leïla O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern Japanese litterature always has a special view on situations and life in general. Aerie, poetic, philosophical, centered on feelings and emotions, in between reality and dream.
The Lost Souls of Benzaiten is a great member of this current. The main character struggles with depression and anxiety, wanting to go as far as relinquishing her humanity and becoming a vacuum cleaner.
Through different meetings, she gradually grows and changes her analysis of the world.

What struck me in this book was how it made me feel loads. I was confused at times, perplexed, angry, I laughed on my own and was forced to put it down once because of the sadness I felt.
It made me think, too. Some of the reflexions Machi, the main character, has, reflected personal events or friends’ situations.
The story flows, and carries the reader along - quietly.
When closing the book, I felt happy. Relaxed. Hopeful. That’s a lot of emotions for a single short fiction !
So indeed, that deserves a perfect grade. Thanks for the feelings !

[Barry Martin Vass · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this is fantasy, it's a very involved fantasy. Seventeen-year-old Machi's life is circling the drain. Her two "best friends" dumped her back in middle school because she was too "boring", she hasn't spoken to anyone in more than a year, and her parents have sent her to a string of psychiatrists who are unable to make progress with what's ailing her. And then one day she happens on an old abandoned Japanese temple to Benzaiten, the Japanese goddess of love. Lo and behold, the goddess appears and tries to talk with her, to cheer her up. Which is futile, of course, because Machi won't verbally communicate with anyone, God or mortal. But they form a bond of sorts, and Machi begins to realize that if she's going to get better, a lot of it is on the choices she herself makes. Hawaiian Author Kelly Murashige tells this with just the right amount of fantasy and reality to keep you glued to the page!

[Julianna Pakstis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captures the big feelings and confusion of being a teenager and dealing with losing friends. Handles reactions to grief of all kinds with realistically, providing a perspective appropriate for the main character’s age while not infantilizing her.

Some of the things that might sound “ridiculous” at first, like the wish to be a robot vacuum cleaner or the selective mutism, actually add whimsy to the book and work well within the story and flow naturally.

The interactions with and backstory of Benzaiten elevates this book from a tale of adolescent troubles to a work that blends life’s hardships with the possibilities for improvement.

Light spoiler: love how the cover ties in the story!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Allisen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t been reading YA much recently. But I’ve been lucky enough to read some of Kelly’s work over the years and it has always been a delight. This is everything and more. A witty debut novel and yet incredibly human in the ways it explores feelings of doubt and betrayal. I loved the story arc and it made me laugh even as I wished I could give Machi a hug. Looking forward for the next story she shares.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one really surprised me. I had very little desire to read it, but when your teenage son tells you he really loved a book and wants you to read it too, you read it. I feel like it gave me a very good insight into the child that recommended it to me and I know we are going to have an excellent conversation soon.

[Karen Masters · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming short novel. Maybe a little simplistic but it is also marketed as young adult fiction. A nice reminder of the importance of mindfulness and forgiving yourself when things don’t go so well.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really excited about this book because I was interested in how Machi would find reasons to live as a human. I feel like it really captured the feeling of painfully being in the world but feeling so isolated from it and how often times, our behaviors can reinforce those feelings of isolation (or help us slowly move through them). I enjoyed the levity in moments of her writing and how a friendship break-up took center stage (BECAUSE THOSE HURT! I also felt like Angel and Machi's friendship was very queer/sapphic/codependent coded in a way that feels so realistic to how intense female friendship can be, especially when you have grown up feeling so quietly lonely) Murashige really understands how vulnerable it can feel to desperately want to be seen and in relation with others so much that so many young folks end up in friendships or relationships severely short of what they deserve. This book's style also reminded me of books like Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop where an ensemble cast of initial strangers really flesh out the story. However, ultimately, I was disappointed with the book's ending and the concerning messages it might convey to young readers. I feel like often times, teenagers like Machi feel lonely and alone because unfortunately, they often are. While they might have classmates or parents in their life, children who are emotionally neglected or not treated with the level of emotional attunement and understanding they deserve can really struggle to form healthy relationships and feel safe around others. Machi felt guilty for how much her parents had tried to "fix" her, but I feel like her parents were really emotionally absent/not really truly there for her (i.e. guilting your child going through a hard time, not acknowledging the lack of a safe space for your child, forcing them to go to therapists and treating them like a "problem"). Her mom acknowledged that Machi never had friends but did so in a cruel moment rather than ever actually trying previously to support Machi's social development. In part, this was likely due to her own tumultuous and emotionally unbalanced relationship with her parent, but for the ending to see Machi giving her mom emotional support as a good thing (parentification-adjacent) made me deeply uncomfortable. Her mom seemed to be emotionally immature and aggressive at times while her dad seemed well-meaning but unable to fully take initiative in supporting Machi. I also found the fact that Machi had to go apologize to Benzaiten uncomfortable and sad. I was glad to see Machi find friends who actually seemed to support her and be more compatible with her, but I wish they had more time in the book and that Machi learned to stand up for herself and set boundaries. The repetition about the racism her grandparents faced and some of the phrasing related to Sunny and Angel also felt a little redundant without giving us more material. Overall though, I found the writing style and book engaging, but I feel like the ending fell short for me and didn't fully acknowledge the lack of support in Machi's life.

[Martine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved, loved this teen/YA novel. Even as an adult (though I’m hypersentitive, and that courts for something) I found that it was a sensitive and sensible portrayal of how a teenager can take matters at heart and be deeply wounded by the end of a relationship. If at times, I was expecting what happened to Machi would be more dramatic, I’m okay with the situation - that could appear to some as trivial - impacting Machi that much. And I appreciate that the author doesn’t belittle her character. I was broken hearted for Machi and for Benzaiten (maybe I wanted to push the latter more than the book suggested).
I also appreciate the depiction of the therapist. It’s really hard to find a accurate d'éviction of one in books, movies or tv series where they too often enter in one of the two problematic categories : the predator or the buffoon.
Some were portrayed as buffoons (and there are some in réal life, I’ve for my share, but Sheryl and Dr Tsui are amazing characters and good therapists. I especially appreciate that it would help normalise going to therapy.
It was an endearing narrative and I loved the characters.


J'ai adoré ce roman pour adolescents. Même en tant qu'adulte (il faut quand même prendre en compte que je suis hypersensible), j'ai trouvé que c'était une représentation sensible et juste de la façon dont un•e adolescent•e prend les choses à cœur et peut être profondément blessé•e par la fin d'une relation. Si, par moments, j'imaginais que ce qui est arrivé à Machi soit plus dramatique, je comprends que la situation – qui pourrait paraître anodine à certains – l'ait autant affectée. J'apprécie que l'auteure ne dénigre pas son personnage. J'ai eu le cœur brisé pour Machi et pour Benzaiten (peut-être aurais-je voulu secouer un peu plus cette dernière).
J'ai également apprécié la représentation du thérapeute. Il est vraiment difficile de trouver une description juste de ce rôle dans les livres, les films ou les séries télévisées, où ils tombent trop souvent dans l'une des deux catégories problématiques : le prédateur ou le bouffon. Certains étaient dépeints comme des bouffons (et il y en a dans la vraie vie, j'en ai fait l'expérience), mais Sheryl et le Dr Tsui sont des personnages formidables et d'excellents thérapeutes. J'apprécie particulièrement le fait que cela contribue à normaliser le recours à la thérapie. C'était un récit attachant et j'ai adoré les personnages.

[Nicole Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Soho Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"The Lost Souls of Benzaiten" by Kelly Murashige is a very interesting book with its unique blend of Japanese culture, mythology, and modern-day struggles. The narrative revolves around Machi, a mixed-race teenager who undergoes a traumatic experience that leaves her mute and grappling with self-destructive tendencies. The novel introduces the intriguing concept of Benzaiten, the Japanese Goddess, who takes an unexpected interest in the human world.

I really enjoyed engaging portrayal of Machi's struggles that felt very realistic for a teenager to be experiencing. I really felt connected to Machi’s character and motivations (who doesn’t want to be a simple robot cleaner at times?). A younger YA reader would probably connect to Machi even more, especially if the reader had ever experienced a friendship breakup, just like Machi. The writing style itself is pretty simple and repetitive, almost suiting more of a middle grade audience, and I think those readers would enjoy this book as well. Even fans of anime would enjoy this book with its depiction of Japanese culture; the plot reminded me of fantasy SOL anime as well.

With the unusual premise, I found the incorporation of Japanese mythology adds a unique flavor to the story. The story itself is very uplifting and emotional, highlighting its focus on human connection. I really enjoyed seeing the growth of Machi's character and her efforts to work on her mental health, seeing her begin to enjoy life again and all the little things that make life worth living. While many of us, especially young teens, may feel overwhelmed at times and want to escape our lives (possibly by becoming robot cleaners), Murashige shows through Machi’s story the wonders of life, making it a relatable and enjoyable read. I think this book would do really well in high/middle school libraries and can be suggested to students who are currently experiencing some overwhelming struggles or friendship breakups of their own.

[Kynzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm... not really sure about this one.
It definitely felt like an anime movie but as a book it just wasn't really for me. The first two thirds of it were really hard to get through, both because it was depressing being in the head of some who is mentally ill and also because it was just pretty boring. Not much really happened. The whole time I kept hoping something would happen or change, and besides *SPOILER START* Machi's healing (which was for no real reason, I mean she spoke on accident and then was just better? it felt so silly. Not to mention that her reason for not talking in the first place was silly to begin with) nothing really happens. Benzaiten remains sad and so does that other rat God guy (can't remember his name) and Machi never actually says anything to Sunny or Angel. *SPOILER END* The whole thing felt shallow and pointless. At the end when stuff finally starts happening at all, the book ends. I was hoping to see more depth in Machi making friends or just being healed. It just felt dull and overall a boring story. It is, however, well written and I can imagine some people really liking a slow, more or less basic tale like this but it really wasn't for me.
There was no language at all which was great besides a couple uses of OMG and it was overall pretty wholesome. There is some mentions of being drunk, drugs, under the influence, being high, etc. There's night club briefly though no details. From a Christian standpoint, I didn't like it at all for the reasons I've just mentioned but also an overall sort of dark and depressed vibe. It's also about Japanese gods so there's praying to them ect.
3 stars because it was well written and the last couple chapters were good.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

After Machi loses her best and only friends, she finds herself unable to speak. After a year of this, she prays at a shrine for Japanese goddess Benzaiten to turn her into a robot vacuum cleaner. Benzaiten decides instead that she'll help show Machi the joy of being human.

Despite how goofy wanting to be a Roomba might be this is a fairly heavy book, so don't go in expecting something light-hearted. The end is filled with hope though. It is much more character-focused than plot-focused.

I get that the author probably couldn't say "Roomba", but the phrase "robot vacuum cleaner" was said a lot and it felt unnatural.

I feel like Machi only ever liked Angel because Angel was the first person to ever reach out. From what we saw of their relationship, I have a hard time believing that Machi ever thought that Angel truly ever cared about her.

Machi's Japanese mother grew up in an extremely racist town, and then tries to convince Machi that they should move there. What kind of mother would willingly put their already struggling child through that?

I liked that there was a positive representation of therapy.

I will try more from Kelly Murashige in the future.

CW: death of grandparents, children, and an infant, car accident, racism, mentions of underage (~12 years old) drug and alcohol abuse

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.