The Vegetarian

3.25 ⭐️

When I first heard the premise of The Vegetarian, I thought, “Okay, that sounds… a little gimmicky?” Like, how dramatic can someone going vegetarian really be? Turns out: VERY.

This book isn’t about tofu, folks. It’s about control, autonomy, and trying to escape the world’s cruelty.

The plot? Honestly unbelievable, but also kind of riveting. There were multiple times I sat there thinking “Wait… what??” but also couldn’t stop reading. The outrageousness of it all veers into darkly comic territory for me, even though the themes are anything but light.

Yeong-hye’s alienation hit home for me. I mean, haven’t we all wanted to tap out of this world’s nonsense at some point?

That said, some parts didn’t fully work for me. The “vegetarianism as radical rebellion” angle still feels a bit much at times.

If you like quietly unhinged books, character studies with heavy themes, and don’t mind a plot that’s a bit out there, then yes. Go in with an open mind, and maybe an empty stomach.