Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

144 reviews

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

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

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

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

skyeuqx's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-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? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

misty_kb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Cannibalism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

anninaso's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

It was recommended to be a book where you finish and think "What the fuck did i just read" and I can say, this really holds true. 
I want to add tho, that this book is incredibly dark on a psychological level through and through and i was really caught off guard. 
I also would have wished for a more interesting end.
Still, it held what it promised. I would recommend if you‘re looking for an unusual read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicide, Cannibalism, and Murder

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Gore, Violence, Vomit, Murder, and Pregnancy

dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense

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

3.0

I can’t decide whether this is a chilling indictment on collectivist society’s imperative to conform, the lack of supports provided to traumatized peoples, and the profound effects of formative trauma, or whether it is a chilling indictment on the lack of supports provided to traumatized peoples, the profound effects of formative trauma, and a cautionary fable about the need for both support and societal control because otherwise people go off and do absolutely bonkers things. </spoilers>

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Infidelity, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

manybooksnoa's review against another edition

2.0

well written but horrible, check the content warnings!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

tamara_joy's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No

2.0

I don't understand why people are calling this "funny" and "hilarious". It's more appalling, really. It is about someone at odds with the world, but unlike Murata's Convenience Store Woman, this book is not peaceful or content.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Incest and Infertility

fedelikeslego's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Unlike Convenience store woman, which I hated and couldn’t keep myself to finish it, I liked this. I read it in one sitting and I’m giving it 4 stars just because I enjoyed reading it.

I’m so confused I feel like I’m high. That’s what it feels like at the end of the “experience ”. I felt so high that their discussions had perfectly made sense.

I think that the book could be divided in two parts: 

• The first ⅓ of the book. Here incest and rape/pedophilia were extremely explicit and I’m not sure I liked that. Even if the love story between the kids was so cute (they were so innocent it didn’t “bothered me that much”), I don’t think that it was necessary to explicitly write for pages about all the sexual intercourses that the protagonist had. It was too much.

• The last ⅔ of the book. This part was a bit more enjoyable, and it’s more centred about what it means to live in this world and in particular in Japan. Murata definitely makes a perfect description of the Japanese society (it would probably make sense only if you lived in Japan or a similar asian country), it’s just so sad and frustrating. In the last chapter, as i said, I felt like I was high. I’m still trying to process what I red. I’m just confused, nothing else. 

Movie reccomendation: The Holy mountain (1973), I felt the same way reading the book and watching the movie. Different plot, different settings, same vibes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Infertility, Vomit, and Death of parent