I don't know what I expected but it wasn't this. I love the way this unfolded and revealed itself over time. And such a gorgeous cover! I will definitely look for more from this author in the future.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I tried to get into this story but could not connect with the story.

This book is a modern feminist ‘The Metamorphosis.’ It’s otherworldly, eerie and surreal. Incredibly creative, thoughtfully executed and beautifully written.

The story explores the roles of women and men, marriage, love, and domestic life. Specifically, it highlights the exploitation and manipulation of women in the literary world.

There are so many important questions this story leaves the reader with about the role of women, the ones that they choose to take on and the ones that men and society impose on them, as well as where the boundaries lie. There’s many layers and depth here. I think this is one of those books that is meant to be re-read because you’ll take something different away each time you read it.

I look forward to more translated works from Maru Ayase! Thank you Netgalley and Counterpoint Press for the opportunity to read and review this gem!

"My wife has germinated."

This one had not only an eye-catching cover, but a fascinating premise: "A woman turns herself into a forest after long being co-opted to serve as the subject of her husband’s novels..."

Unfortunately, the book didn't live up to either promise.

Most of the story seems to be about everyone other than the forest/woman. Only at the end when the spouses finally confront one another did the book really work for me.

Then again, this could be yet another of those books that leave me wondering if I'm just not smart enough to "get it."

Thank you to the publisher Counterpoint Press & Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was beautifully written and I'm looking forward to more of Maru Ayase's book bcus this sold me to read more of the author's work.

I have to give it up to this book for tackling so many important issues in such a thin book. For others, you might felt the issues wasnt expanded much but i still find it refreshing to read on many different outlooks on marriage, domesticity, the idea of love, gender identity and roles taken by men & women.

Discussion on the domestic life and the meaning of consent in relationships, the rights for your spouses to create a story based on you, revealing your intimate details from physical, emotional and the in betweens. With Forest Brims over, the story was told from different perspectives on the Nowatari couple: the male editor, the student of Nowatari whom in affair with him, the female editor Shirasaki and then proceed with Nowatari point of view


There were intriguing look on the publishing industry as the mentions of editing process of manuscripts, the role of editors meeting & sharing ideas with the authors they are in charge of, the exploration on the themes of story

This surreal outlook on the marriage life and the metaphor of the wife turning into a forest are a curious thing. The unfolding nature of how fantastical and unrealistic this situation can be may be approached with delicate viewd on how real domestic life was treated.