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bisexualbookshelf's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! This book will be released in the US on March 18th, 2025 by Hogarth Press.
Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa is a poignant and darkly humorous exploration of disability, autonomy, and the complexities of living in a body that doesn’t conform to “normal” standards. Through the eyes of the narrator, Shaka, the story unfolds in the confines of a group home she owns after inheriting it from her deceased parents. Shaka suffers from myotubular myopathy, a degenerative muscle disorder that leaves her physically and socially isolated, relying on a ventilator to breathe and mobility aids to navigate her life. This novella is an unflinching portrayal of Shaka’s frustration with a world that continuously infantilizes her, expecting nothing from her because of her disability and gender.
Ichikawa’s writing is a blend of biting wit and deep emotional insight. The humor is self-deprecating, often sharp and cynical as Shaka observes the absurdity of her existence. The prose is introspective, never shying away from the raw truths of Shaka’s situation. She yearns for experiences that so many others take for granted—like the simple act of reading a book without pain—yet struggles against the physical limitations her body imposes. Her longing for normalcy evolves into an obsession with reproductive autonomy, particularly the choice to experience an abortion. This fixation serves as a lens through which the book delves into the intersections of disability and reproductive justice, forcing us to confront the often-overlooked realities of disabled people’s rights over their own bodies.
At its heart, Hunchback is a meditation on identity and autonomy. Shaka’s internal battle is one of dignity—how to maintain it in a world that expects you to be less than human, a body that isn’t meant to be sexual, capable, or independent. The narrative questions what it means to truly have a choice when the world has already decided that your body is incapable of making its own decisions. Through Shaka’s voice, Ichikawa gives us a character who is defiant and vulnerable in equal measure, desperate to reclaim agency over a life that constantly denies her that power. It's a powerful, necessary book, one that demands we reconsider how we view disability and autonomy in a society that often relegates the disabled to the margins.
📖 Recommended For: Fans of introspective literary fiction, disability justice narratives, and darkly humorous, character-driven stories; readers interested in the intersections of gender, disability, and reproductive justice; those who appreciate sharp, self-aware protagonists and biting commentary on social norms.
🔑 Key Themes: Autonomy and Agency, Disability and Isolation, Reproductive Justice, Gender and Disability, Identity and Dignity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Abortion, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic
ellslibraries's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Sexual content, Medical content, and Abortion
purplemuskogee's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I had been told it would be very graphic, and it is in its minute descriptions of disability and in the erotica that the narrator writes and publishes online.
The female narrator is a 40-something woman, who is disabled due to a degenerative condition, uses a ventilator and a suction catheter to drain mucus from her windpipe, can speak but rarely does so after a tracheostomy when she was 14, and relies on text to communicate with her carers. She is fabulously wealthy ("a woman whose money has distanced her from friction") and owns the care home in which she lives. She earns addtional income she donates to good causes through writing, mostly erotic stories.
It's very short but very detailed which I rarely see in books, especially with a disabled heroine. She thinks about her body a lot, because she has to, and resents not being able to comfortably read, not having a sexual life, and not being able to experience what other women experience. She dreams of "getting pregnant and having an abortion, like a normal woman". She resents the ableism of Japan; incredibly she mentions France and the US as being more progressive in that regard.
It's a good book, although it is so short that the plot takes very little space. A lot of space is given to the experience of being disabled - I understand this is based on the author's own lived experience - as we follow her through meals, getting up, trying to be comfortable, receiving care. I found it really easy to get interested in, uncomfortable but engrossing.
Free ARC sent by Netgalley.
The female narrator is a 40-something woman, who is disabled due to a degenerative condition, uses a ventilator and a suction catheter to drain mucus from her windpipe, can speak but rarely does so after a tracheostomy when she was 14, and relies on text to communicate with her carers. She is fabulously wealthy ("a woman whose money has distanced her from friction") and owns the care home in which she lives. She earns addtional income she donates to good causes through writing, mostly erotic stories.
It's very short but very detailed which I rarely see in books, especially with a disabled heroine. She thinks about her body a lot, because she has to, and resents not being able to comfortably read, not having a sexual life, and not being able to experience what other women experience. She dreams of "getting pregnant and having an abortion, like a normal woman". She resents the ableism of Japan; incredibly she mentions France and the US as being more progressive in that regard.
It's a good book, although it is so short that the plot takes very little space. A lot of space is given to the experience of being disabled - I understand this is based on the author's own lived experience - as we follow her through meals, getting up, trying to be comfortable, receiving care. I found it really easy to get interested in, uncomfortable but engrossing.
Free ARC sent by Netgalley.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Sexual content, and Medical content