Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

131 reviews

staticspider's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

This book is marketed as a horror book but there is a difference between horror and depravity... this isn't horror. One thing I will say is that they depicted abuse perfectly. Unfortunately there is no help for those struggling in this story. Trigger warning for those interested: child abuse, sexual abuse, suicide, incest, cannibalism, victim blaming, and a large amount of undiagnosed/ untreated mental health issues. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Gaslighting, Incest, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment

skylarkblue1's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Representations: https://trello.com/c/3YRo1n9k/85-earthlings-by-sayaka-murata

I honestly don't have the words to describe this book properly. This book is a fucked up, surreal kind of existential depression. I've not seen the fawn response to trauma be so well depicted in a book either - especially with the internal struggles that come with it.

If I say too much about this book, I think it'd ruin the experience you'll have reading it. Essentially it's the story of a severely abused child retreating into delusions and fantasies and never really being able to grow up - while in turn being subjected to intense pressure and scrutany from traditional society to "be normal".

This book very much takes real problems and cranks them up to max. Victim blaming, hiding of abuse, the very heteronormal society's views of your worth being tied to if you can have babies or not and more are explored within the book - and I think it actually does it pretty well. It takes the worst case scenarios for each situation and puts it all together, but still - sadly - having a decently realistic approach.

I would have liked if the 2 side characters had some more "fullness" about them, and it'd be nice to have an epilogue as well just to tie things up and maybe have it end on a *little* bit more of a hopeful tone.

I would highly recommend this but please do take the content warnings seriously. It is explicit, it does not mince words. This is a very sad story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Gore, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Incest, Murder, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Misogyny, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Death of parent

Child Sexual Assault, Severe Victim Blaming, Depersonalisation/Derealisation/Dissassociation

stardustdreamer's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Incest, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual content

Moderate: Bullying, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

Minor: Excrement and Suicide

italiananchovy's review against another edition

dark

• Loveable characters? No

2.5

It would have been a higher rating if it weren't for the nauseating final chapter 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Incest, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Death and Suicide

korolevakotykiv's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Murder, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

breathless's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Murder, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Violence

emilyandthewhippet's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Uncomfortable and something that you're not going to forget for a long time. I'm not sure that's a good thing though. The first half was traumatic and the second... I don't even know? Not a nice read but well written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Violence, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Bullying, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual content, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

elanilanella's review against another edition

Do not read this book without first looking at the content warnings!!! Unless you're at peak mental health with no trauma of course, then go forth with my envy.

Picking up this book, with a reviewer using the word 'hilarious' on the front, with its bright green, cute hedgehog plushie and vibrant energy, I thought I was settling in for a lighthearted while at times sad read about a girl who was navigating being different and had a vivid imagination. While those things are true of the book, nothing could have prepared me for the horrors within the pages (though some content warnings would have been much appreciated). 
Before I knew it I had been frozen for half the book, unable to stop reading, my own trauma being triggered time and time again by this innocent looking book rooting me to the spot. At one point I  almost threw up. I know they say not to judge a book by its cover but you'd think there'd be some correlation in tone between the graphic design and the content within. Nothing about the book was 'hilarious' in the slightest, nor was it cute.

It was very well written and I have no doubt it's a good book, but I am currently not robust enough mentally to continue with it, though I might one day pick Earthlings up again when I'm more prepared for what may ensue. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Murder, Acephobia/Arophobia, Sexual assault, Incest, Child abuse, Violence, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, and Mental illness

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization

cephalopop's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Pedophilia, Incest, Grief, Gore, Child abuse, Cannibalism, and Body horror

osmosees's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Incest, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Eating disorder, Gore, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cannibalism, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt