I was thankful to read an advanced copy of this book. While I wasn't overly impressed with the book, I did like the quietly snarky personality of the protagonist. I did like the multiple meanings of the fault lines theme throughout the book too.

I enjoyed this book was more than I thought I would. I really liked Emily Itami's writing style - it was smart, funny and real. I look forward to reading more by her in the future.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

A very quiet novel, I most enjoyed the moments of reflection on motherhood. I was not very interested in the affair except as a way to explore the main character, Mizuki, but I also think that may have been part of the point. I definitely would read more from Emily Itami in the future, given that this was her debut. Thank you also to Custom House for providing me with an early e-copy of this work through Netgalley, even though I am very late in actually reading it!

This book felt like a truly honest portrayal of marriage, motherhood and the life you leave behind to create the life ahead of you. It's about how you can keep your identity, even as your life evolves into something you barely recognize. I imagine that Mizuki's feelings, thoughts and questions echo millions of other women's all around the world. This book was also a beautiful portrayal of Tokyo, and the way the author described the landscapes made me feel like I could see, touch, smell and feel it all around me too.

Fault Lines is the story of a woman who reckons with the reality of her life and what led her there. Interesting and compulsively readable.

Debut novelist Emily Itami has written an honest look of a Japanese housewife Mizuki who seems to have everything. Tatsuya is a successful businessman and they have a ten-year-old daughter and a four-year-old boy. They live in a beautiful apartment in Tokyo. I immediately liked Mizuki and I think the author presented a universal story of a wife who has lost her way as a woman struggling for self worth.

Mizuki meets Kiyoshi who has a successful restaurant. He meets Mizuki and they start a friendship. Mizuki feels valued by Kiyoshi. This short novel is a brilliant look into Mizuki’s life. What will she decide.to do. This is a book that I will read a second time. My thanks to William Morrow and Custom House for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

A delightfully candid story about a housewife in Japan who unexpectedly engages in an affair.

Her insights about motherhood are shrewd and honest, and the interesting facts about Japanese culture that are sprinkled in provide an enthralling backdrop to the universally relatable quandary of an unsatisfying marriage and home life. We are able to witness in real-time Mizuki's lackluster marriage, meeting Kiyoshi, and the tantalizing events that unfold. The story is realistic and paced perfectly; the yearning and tension are palpable. Mizuki is an endearing and engaging protagonist.

Hmm...maybe because of the cultural differences, I found it hard to relate to Mizuki most of the time. She is a upper class Japanese housewife who is flirting with a life forgotten, wanting a life she can't have. But...she attempts it anyway, with no regards to the consequences of her actions. And then, in the end, there don't seem to be any consequences. It appears that what Mizuki has done has solved all problems in her life. Or maybe, it just opens her up to see the bigger picture and appreciate more.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

I always enjoy books that emphasize other cultures and mores, but this book fell short for me. Mizuki is married with two children and is experiencing a sense of being unfulfilled. As she goes through the details of her life, I find Mizuki unlikable as she looks for something outside of her marriage. It takes a seismic event to force her to face her choices. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, but I was a little disappointed in the book, particularly after reading the raves.

High 3 stars for me. This is a commentary on being a mother in Tokyo and the culture of motherhood in Japan. Mizuki is generally unsatisfied with her life and her marriage. This book details her life and has some sly and humorous comments on being a mother that applies across cultures. I enjoyed learning about Japan and her funny observations, but nothing really happens and the book itself wraps up so quickly I wasn't sure I had an error on my copy.

A look at the life of a stay at home mother in Tokyo. The story is eloquently written and portrays the sadness of a mother that feels trapped in her marriage and her life. At one time she had been a foreign exchange student in the US and glamorized the life here. Now she is married for 15 years, has two small children and contemplates throwing herself off her 37th floor balcony. She knows she has a life that other women dream of but she is still unhappy. “I just didn’t reckon in the fact that opening one door would mean closing another one so firmly.” It is a story of characters more than a plot and the depth of human emotion. How people change over time and relationships change. Instead of searching for help with her feelings she turns to a foreigner and develops a relationship with him.
There are many lines that I highlighted throughout for her description of emotions and viewpoints. The only downfall was the adultry. If you don’t mind reading about that it is a fantastic novel.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

I was initially drawn to this book because someone compared it to Sally Rooney, one of my favorite authors.. While I didn't necessarily see a lot of similarities between the writing of Emily Itami and Sally Rooney, this book was amazing!

The story follows Mizuki, a housewife living with her husband and children in Tokyo. Mizuki is contemplating her current life and what she thought it would be when she was younger. On a night out, Mizuki meets Kiyoshi, a restaurateur, and his presence complicates her life further as she gets to explore a new sense of freedom and love.

I thought this book was going to be a romance, and while romance plays its part, Fault Lines is much more about identity, gender roles, and motherhood. Mizuki is looking at her life, questioning where she wants it to go and what any life changes would mean.  

This is a very introspective novel. I loved reading about Mizuki's life and her thoughts. The Tokyo setting really adds to the story and the book's atmosphere, as the city and it's quakes play off of Mizuki's thoughts and emotions well throughout the story. 

Fault Lines is an excellent debut and I'm looking forward to whatever Emily Itami writes next!

Reading this book felt like sitting in a cafe in Tokyo, catching up with an old friend. Mizumi captivated me from the first page with her biting humor and the way she saw the world. It was a treat to be able to glimpse at her mind and thought process whilst she figured out her own happiness and what she wanted her future to look like. What an incredible debut!

Fault lines was an interesting read following Japanese housewife, Mizuki, living her day to day life. We see her struggle with her relationship with her husband, parenting her two children and doing other expected everyday things. The story explores what makes a relationship and the way everyday life can effect them.

I had some difficulty at the beginning with the writing style, but once I caught on, it was a quick read with lots of interesting cultural information about Japan.

Overall a good read, I'll be looking out for future books by this author.

This is the story of Japanese housewife, Mizuki. She seems to have the perfect life. Then why is her meeting of Kiyoshi so meaningful? Could it be that appearances are deceiving, and perfect doesn’t exist?

Emily Itami writes a beautiful story of a woman struggling with her identity and desire for something more in life. Whatever you think of Mizuki, you will learn something about yourself.

I went into reading this book blindly. I did not know the setting or what the story was about. When I started reading it I was thinking this is not my kind of read. I continued reading and I came to enjoy the story. Some of the writing left me confused as to where the story was heading. I would be glad to follow this author and see how she continues to write and progress.

I had great expectations for this one given that it follows a Japanese housewife in Tokyo. I have a true love for Tokyo as that is where unexpectedly, I met my life partner and love. Living in Tokyo was an amazing experience and I loved the five months that I lived there.



While Fault Lines takes place in Tokyo, the book was just not that exciting or interesting. It follows Mizuki, a Japanese housewife who has two kids and is in a passionless marriage with Tatsu. Tatsu works all of the time. Mizuki has an affair with Kiyoshi, a successful restaurateur. Not much happens. It was pretty boring even with Tokyo, the most exciting place on earth, in the background.



Mizuki goes out in the evening a lot to meet Kiyoshi. It got me thinking – who was watching those kids? And when Tatsu was home, he just seemed to think she was going out with friends late at night? Didn’t he wonder?



This was a three star affair for me. I read it in two day; it was not verbose. I’m not upset that I read it, but I’m not recommending it to friends.

Am engaging read, well written, evenly paced. The type of women's literature that appeals to be. The backdrop of Japanese culture and the expectations of women was very interesting and added dimension to the story. A solid reading experience

My brief thoughts are here https://www.bethfishreads.com/2021/11/what-i-read-in-october-part-i.html and also appear on Goodreads

This was a beautiful book, thought not my style. This was lovely, but I don't feel as though the story went far. Would recommend to others, though.