The Shop of Unspoken Things

For today’s book, I wanted to introduce something a little different from my usual reads, which I discovered at the Montreuil Book Fair in 2024. Since I have a soft spot for beautiful visuals and Asian-inspired worlds, did I buy it because of the cover at first glance? Of course! But it was the story that truly kept me hooked after the purchase, naturally.

Summary

Lost in one of Tokyo’s streets, there is a shop that appears for rather… unusual requests, shall we say. Its customers can be humans, gods, or demons. However, whether your request concerns the good or the bad side of the law or morality means little to the owner of the place, Mr. Kishino, and his staff. The price to pay to exorcise your lover or make your enemy fall off a cliff is entirely at Mr. Kishino’s discretion. Beware!

Point of view

This is the first book I have read by this author, and it turned out to be a delightful surprise. I really enjoyed the writing style, which feels like a blend between the softness of Studio Ghibli and the dark universe of Tim Burton. I loved the characters, their little stories, and those of the various customers who cross the threshold of this shop at their own risk.

As writers, we all have parts we enjoy writing more than others. Personally, I am not very fond of writing descriptions: I am always afraid of doing too much or not enough. With Céline Chevet, however, I truly appreciated the descriptions because they felt vivid and alive. In fact, I take inspiration from them to improve my own writing. Overall, the reading experience was smooth and captivating, balancing folklore and contemporary elements. However, there were moments that briefly pulled me out of the story. Perhaps it is due to the way I read — I tend to read quickly and sometimes skim through pages — but some chapters are written in the first person, and it took me a while to realize that the “I” did not always refer to the same character from one chapter to another.

Conclusion

So, did I enjoy this book? Absolutely. Would I recommend it? Why are you even asking? And besides, the cover is simply gorgeous!!! Sadly, there isn’t an English version yet. But if you want to improve your French… maybe this is your sign.

A slightly strange cookie mochi… but who knows.