FailPen was distressing to read, and for once, I say that positively. The power system runs on a devastating mechanic that ripped my heart out of my chest every time, basically. Spoilers, but the main character has to give her memories away. Every time, she feels either terrified or grimly resigned over it, unhappy and sinking into a depression or both. It feels like self harm. Huge kudoes to this novel for making me feel that intensity *every time*. I think it was extremely well written in that regard.

Not only that, but that power system, the plot, and the characters—especially the main character, the main antagonist, and the character Dalylah—are clearly geared around a central theme. It makes the story work well within its wordcount and express a clear and nuanced idea with the time it has. I love that the antagonist, portraying "perfection", is the one who creates all these Choken, all the unfinished works. Because trying for perfection is a losing game, and you'll just end up unhappy and not completing anything.

The ultimate message of the story, I feel, was uplifting and truthful. The novel doesn't shy away from intense aspects, but that gave the happiness and resolution more weight.

So why did I only rate it 4 stars? The prose was great, too...

It was the plot structure. There's only one main plot, really, and it takes place in only one location. A lack of real ups and downs makes it feel monotonous, and when things do change—in tone or event—it's often because a god comes in and serves as a literal "deus ex machina". I feel like Aya, Dalylah, and Yuki, as well as other side characters, should have done much more to drive events. Maybe Aya's depressed, but the other characters could do it! Since the gods are removed from the main story, their actions aren't that satisfying, and they're too powerful for their actions to be really satisfying either—in the end, I kind of got the feeling that the goddess "Failure" could have solved everything with a snap of her fingers.

That said, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to enjoy some good old-fashioned psychological horror with interesting ideas and setting.