Never have I come across a protagonist who lays out her feelings for another like this. It's raw and emotionally devastating, and knowing Qiu Miaojin's background only makes the writing more intense. I didn't like it as much as Notes of a Crocodile without all the social criticism, but it strikes a different chord with how brutally honest the writing is about the protagonist's love and obsession for her ex-girlfriend. It really feels disturbingly like reading the author's thoughts leading up to her suicide.