You ever read a book that makes you feel like you're eavesdropping on something you shouldn’t? This book is exactly that—a quiet, unsettling story that sneaks up on you.

Set during the early COVID-19 days, it follows two strangers—both hiding from their past—sharing an apartment with one rule: no face-to-face contact. Through notes and messages, their guilt, paranoia, and isolation unravel in eerie, intimate ways.

It’s a short read, but the tension lingers long after. If you love quiet, unsettling stories that feel a little too real, this one’s for you.

#SomeonetoWatchOverYou #NetGalley

I honestly didn't enjoy this book very much, at first it felt like the story was building especially with the two main characters each learning more about each other. At some point the story felt like it was setting up for something bigger and more interesting but then the book just kind of ended with no resolution or climax. I've read a lot of Japanese translated literature (like Convenience Store Woman or Strange Weather in Tokyo) and was anticipating some moral or hidden lesson at the end. But the book actually ended with me wondering if I read it correctly. Either this went over my head or it wasn't an interesting ending, and honestly both options aren't for me. The premise of two traumatized tormented people meeting during covid was really appealing to me but they really didn't learn a lesson or grow into better (or worse) people and the story lines were left open ended. I think there will be some people who enjoyed this one and don't mind how open ended it was but it wasn't for me.

Sometimes, I think I'm ready for books set during COVID, and then a book like Someone to Watch Over You comes along to challenge that assumption. So, first off, I would say to make sure you're ready for recalling the possible isolation and anxiety of the initial outbreak.

Set in small-town Japan, two isolated and troubled characters are linked as the pandemic sets hold in their communities. Someone to Watch Over You is an incredibly uneasy and claustrophobic read, something which heightens as we travel through the book. Everything feels damp and bleak. There are neighbors' whispering, assumptions pushed, prolonged silences, and a mistrust of the self. Some readers may wish for a more final ending, but to me, the ending fits so well with the unknowingness and unease of the book as a whole.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kumi Kimura’s *Someone to Watch Over You* is a haunting and atmospheric novella that captures the isolation, guilt, and quiet desperation of two people struggling to exist in a world that has seemingly turned against them. Set in Japan during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the story follows Tae, a former teacher burdened by accusations of driving a student to suicide, and Shinobu, an ex-security guard haunted by his involvement in a protester's death. Both retreat to their hometowns, weighed down by their pasts and the fear of an invisible threat. When their paths cross, Tae hires Shinobu for a repair job, leading to an unusual arrangement where they cohabitate but communicate only through written notes, maintaining a physical and emotional distance that mirrors their inner turmoil.

What makes *Someone to Watch Over You* so compelling is its eerie quietness—Kimura’s prose, translated by Asa Yoneda, is sparse yet deeply evocative, drawing the reader into the characters’ growing unease. The novella unfolds as a slow-burn psychological study, with an ever-present sense of claustrophobia that heightens the tension. The pandemic serves not just as a backdrop but as an extension of the characters’ anxieties, amplifying their emotional isolation. This is a story about the weight of guilt, the human need for connection, and the delicate balance between fear and trust. Thought-provoking and unsettling, *Someone to Watch Over You* lingers in the mind long after the final page.

First I want to give my thanks to NetGalley, Pushkin Press and Kumi Kimura for allowing me to read this ARC!

Rating: Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5/5

A tender and introspective story about isolation and connection. Set during the early days of the pandemic, it follows two people trying to keep their distance from the world—both physically and emotionally—while carrying the weight of their pasts.

What struck me most is how it captures that universal struggle of wanting to be alone yet still craving human connection. The characters' quiet interactions show that even in solitude, having someone who simply understands can make all the difference.

It’s a short, delicate read—simple yet profound—perfect for anyone who enjoys slice-of-life stories that linger long after the last page.

I might need more research to back my sentence but I’m going with this: Japanese (writers) are so amazing at writing about *LONELINESS* even without having to use the word to describe the feeling of desolation one goes through, with or without company.

This book delves into the same 'lonely' theme with covid as the setting. A 40-year old lady decided to hire a former bodyguard as her handyman after a string of incidences occurred as she tried to make her dwelling more liveable after she inherited it from her parents who have passed. The community in her neighborhood, though small, was not so welcoming to her. The handyman, desperate for money as he struggled to be financially independent, also after as string of unlucky events, readily agreed to perform whatever the lady wanted as long as he had a shelter above his head.

The novella was sparing in its details when it comes to the background of the characters, but they somehow felt ‘whole’ and could easily be anyone you knew in real life. The distancing that the pandemic required didn’t help in making the lives of people less lonely but these two, despite their jarring differences in their personalities and the way they lived, somehow found reliance and comfort in each other as they tried to survive in whatever ways they could.

Though I could not warm up to any of the characters perhaps also due to the short length, it was certainly an interesting look at the lives of certain quarters during the pandemic in a different country. I could relate to the impacts of the imposition of certain rules, but also learned more about social fabric and the fragility of social niceties when pressured with something scary and unknown.

I have to point out that the translation was exceptional. The sentences and word choice were smooth, as if it was originally written in English. Only the translator’s choice of retaining certain words in Japanese made me realize it wasn’t so, but I’d have made the same choice with the words that were retained in Japanese too. Asa Yoneda, I’ve got my eyes on you.

this wasn't quite for me, i'm afraid! i loved the premise, but it just wasn't as exciting as i was expecting. the writing (or translation, i'm not sure) seemed a little clunky at times, and i wish they had been living together in the house for longer, or perhaps from the start of the book. it came to a sudden end, too, that i wasn't expecting -- i thought that it was building up to something bigger. i wish more had happened!

[i received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. thank you to netgalley and pushkin press.]

Someone to Watch Over You is a novella about two people who end up in an unusual arrangement during the pandemic. In a small town in Japan, a woman lives alone in what was her parents' house, avoiding people whilst haunted by the fact she might've caused the death of a student. When she hires a former security guard who knocked down a protester as a handyman, they find themselves needing each other amongst the claustrophobic atmosphere of the pandemic.

This is a tense book that confronts readers with many ways in which humans can be bad to one another, actively or passively, through a story of fear and paranoia. The narrative moves between the two characters' perspectives and you never quite know what is meant to have happened and what hasn't. As with similar books in this genre of Japanese literature, there aren't really any answers by the end, but instead it concludes with ongoing ambiguity, with readers knowing more about the connection between these characters than the characters seem to themselves. It is a short, gripping read, but not one for people who want to unravel what actually happened in the narrative's mysteries.

the author allows us to grasp the story through the two main characters. however, she refuses to hold our hand, just like how society during COVID-19 avoided touch.

we follow two characters and their journey to keep on surviving despite dealing with loss, guilt, and isolation. as i started reading the story, initially i felt like there was this distance between me and the characters - although they carry their past with them and try to actively move on from it, i felt like i could only work with the few and vague details given. the pacing of the story felt slow at first, but it went by so fast towards the end. i found myself wanting for more answers, clues, and context - even yearning for a sequel! however, i believe that i can only interpret the situation with the given artefacts and hope for the best.

a few more things that i love about this story:
* food and routines are thoroughly described. the writing style felt to me as if i were in close proximity to the characters. i often found myself craving for different meals while i was reading the story.
* COVID-19 prevention ‘rituals’ that were normalized back then in society were narrated realistically. i’ve noticed how the character (the FMC, specifically) would bring up the current thing in their hometown and compare it to how it was back then before the pandemic.
* emotions are subtly written, they are not imposed.

some of the things i didn’t like that much:
* the MMC (im sorry :p) - it’s a personal opinion that i felt the ick whenever his parts came up. while that felt to me like good and effective writing, i couldn’t bring myself to empathize with him.
* the motives of the side characters and characters in the past felt unclear. while they contributed a lot to the current emotions of the main characters, i just wish the author paid attention to them more.

im glad i had the chance to read this story. im looking forward to reading more of the author’s work - to my knowledge, this is her first story that has been translated into english.

Book Review: Someone to Watch Over You by Kumi Kimura
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

First off, thank you to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!

So, Someone to Watch Over You had such an interesting premise, and I was really excited going into it. The idea of a mysterious guardian watching over someone, mixed with suspense and some emotional depth, totally caught my attention. The writing itself was really immersive, and I liked how the author built this eerie, almost dreamlike atmosphere.

That being said, I had a hard time fully connecting with the characters. There were moments where I felt like I was almost getting invested, but then the pacing would slow down or the dialogue would feel a little stiff. I also wish some of the plot points had been developed more, certain twists felt rushed, while other parts dragged a bit.

Overall, I think this book had a lot of potential, and there were definitely moments that kept me hooked. If you like slow burn mysteries with a surreal touch, you might enjoy this one! But for me, it was just okay, good, but not great.

Someone to Watch Over you is a story that follows two characters, neither of which are protagonists of zeal or that demand admiration but a man and a woman both flawed and repressed during the pandemic.

Tae echoes the fears and paranoia of society during COVID 19 in a way many people, especially older people, felt experiencing the unknown.

Shinobu, a down and out man is a failure and can't find his way in a world that is also finding its feet in a crisis.

The distance between us, and the importance of connection are challenged in this novel. If you're a fan of The Convience Store Woman or other Japanese fiction I think you will enjoy this.

Someone To Watch Over You offers a dip into the lives of two complex and deeply troubled characters. The story lives in a fog of paranoia, suffocating and isolating; a well-suited atmosphere for the circumstances these two find themselves in.
The start was a bit confusing to me and feels slightly disjointed, diving straight into their mental worries and anxiety-ridden thoughts with very little grounding, but ultimately pays off by unsettling the reader from the start.
The story felt real, though frustrating. I could personally not empathise with either of the two but I did feel a sort of pity/worry for both of them.
Worth the read, short, but no less gripping.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Pushkin Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A subtle but thought-provoking novella about alienation, belonging and the weight of the past.

This is the story of Tae, a former school teacher who has moved back home after a death and Shinobu, an out-of-work security guard whose past looms over him, and their unexpected connection throughout COVID-dominated 2020. There’s very little plot, though - while I found this engaging and eerie some readers will definitely find it dull.

For me the strength of the book is were the themes - it covered the value of connection, exclusion in small town Japan and the way people’s pasts linger with them really effectively: very much by showing rather than lecturing. The setting was another strength - the anxieties of lockdown were clear in an understated way.

This is the kind of book where you’re left to ponder what really happened and how much of what you’re shown is true. While I found that worked really well for the character’s pasts, I liked it a bit less when it came to the time the characters spent together as it all felt quite vague as things progressed.

All in all an enjoyable novella that was both thought-provoking and easy to read. Great for those who like books with themes and enjoy being allowed to reach your own views, less so for those who want plenty of plotting.

Thank you to Kumi Kimura, Pushkin Press and NetGalley providing an ARC of Someone to Watch Over You in return for an honest review.

Someone to Watch Over You by Kumi Kimura (translated by Asa Yoneda)

Tae is a former teacher in her 40s and lives alone during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in Japan. She is frugal, lonely, and scared when the people in the town she moved to starts to assault and intimidate her. She moved to escape her past, which she will not speak of to anyone.

Shinobu is in his 30s, a recently homeless handyman & former security guard who gets dealt with the bad cards in life again & again. He and Tae are strangers until one day he gets a call from her looking for a handyman to clear her bathroom drain.

In a brooding, somewhat eerie and sombre town where a recent mysterious murder at the cleaners happened, the two find an unlikely platonic, safe, symbiotic housemate in each other for a while, but Tae’s past catches up with her. Someone is lurking around her house, someone is watching. And slowly, Shinobu strangely seems to need less and less from her.

The ending is abit of a cliffhanger and… HAD MY BLOOD RUN COLD. I don’t entirely sure I know what it means, but if it’s what I think… 😱😱😱

This novella is about 112 pages long, a fast read, but one I had to go through slowly because of the details. It embodies the Japanese strict attitude towards hygiene, order, peace and quiet, and the loneliness we never know what to do with, of living in a society yet being an outcast. As humans, we can be really, really unkind to one another, and this is a story of the connections we put up with when community is scarce. The writing is more atmospheric than plot-driven, but it still does tell the characters’ story with abit of back & forth between time and different focuses in the chapters.

Sometimes, we just need someone to watch over us.

Content advisory: self-harm, death, assault, references to pornography, infectious diseases.

I’d give this a 3.5/5

Thank you @pushkinpress and @netgalley for an advanced copy of this.

Someone to Watch Over You publishes on 3rd June 2025!

#bbbreviews #SomeoneToWatchOverYou #KumiKimura #netgalley #pushkinpress #ARCreader #ARCreviews #japaneseliteraryfiction #storiesOnCovid #translatedfictions

I adore Japanese fiction for its simplicity, whilst capturing the food culture and a special eerieness. The MCs are unconventional, real humans facing isolation, loneliness, and deteriorating mental and physical states. I read it in one sitting, feeling unease, an elegant claustrophobic atmosphere, inviting to reflections and speculations.

I can see this on the shelf next to Nanae Aoyama's 'A Perfect Day to Be Alone' and Atsuhiro Yoshida's 'Goodnight Tokyo'.

I have always been drawn to Japanese fiction for its simplicity and its ability to evoke visceral human emotions in unexpected ways.

This novella is a deep dive into the beauty of solitude that tells the story of two lonely individuals who have been unjustly abandoned by society due to certain circumstances. They are dealing with their own problems and trying to navigate their existence in this world during the pandemic. Unbeknownst to them, they are drawn to each other because of their similarities, and they gradually begin to care for one another, finding hope in isolation. The way this story represents the development of genuine human emotions and connections through a journey of isolation and love felt incredibly realistic and believable.

I found myself longing for more of their moments together. This is a story that will leave you wanting to know more about their journey, and I truly adore it.

I got this book from NetGalley via Pushkin Press. I am grateful to them for providing me with an advanced reader copy prior to its release.

A very curious little novella. Two lonely people, both accused of murder, find meaning in helping to keep the other person alive. "Someone to Watch Over You" is a perfect title for this; it highlights how having a connection with another person, no matter how slight, can change your life. The writing and atmosphere are both strong.

Ultimately, though, I felt like there was so much description of things I didn't care about, like meals and sleeping arrangements, and so little about what I actually cared about, which were Tae and Shinobu's inner lives and their growing relationship with each other. Tae also felt like a less developed character than Shinobu; I wish we had really delved more into her feelings from her own perspective.

Still, I think the voice and exploration of themes of loneliness, regret, and human connection are strong.

Thank you to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

AGH.
Bummer.
This one just wasn't for me.
I am still really thankful to Pushkin Press, Kumi Kimura, and Netgalley for granting me an advanced digital copy to this book before it hits shelves on June 3, 2025.

This is quite a strange book, one that starts well, and is gripping, but then loses its way somewhat, I feel.

We meet a character, Tae, who is living in her parents' house (they have died) after moving back to her small town from Tokyo. She is, clearly, damaged - and it turns out that she has been accused of causing the death of one of her students in her class. He drowned - and she, allegedly, didn't do anything about the bullying he experienced, therefore the family blame her for what happened to him. Seemingly, Tae is lonely - her town is deserted - this is taking place in 2020, in the pandemic. I do find it hard to believe, though, that the town would be quite so empty - it seems somewhat unrealistic. Tae calls a handyman to help her with some jobs, ostensibly for house maintenance but it's more a case of reaching out to someone to ease her loneliness. Shinobu comes into her life living a miserable existence, too - one that is tantamount to abuse, getting by by living in his brother's shed. He is, oddly, bullied by his niece who sends him the most awful text messages, black-mailing him and requesting that he gives her money to help pay for a friend's sick dog. It is all quite odd in that she accuses him of acting in gay porn and doing other things that she hopes will make him cough up.

Tae and Shinobu spend longer together - she allows him to 'live' in her house but not see her. Essentially, she wants him to keep guard as she gets death threats and do other things, such as clean obscene graffiti off her house and car. It is all quite bizarre, and all the while, a strange, neglected landscape continues to feel quite alien as they 'exist' in their odd worlds.

This feels very Japenese in its outlook and construction - and as it is a translation, there are a few bits which, I feel, don't quite work. It leaves me feeling somewhat indifferent about this read but pleased that I read it - it is short which I think goes in its favour.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

i really enjoyed this book. i definitely recommend it. thank you so much pushkin press for giving me a galley!