Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

74 reviews

izypup's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

The ending is mostly what threw me off and felt lacking. I did also feel that throughout the time skips somethings felt underdeveloped. Although, these are things that I assume didn’t involve Natsuki and she didn’t necessarily care about. 
I don’t think any of the characters behaved in ways that felt like the author jumped the shark because I believed that these characters had the capabilities of acting irrationally. 
Natsuki’s childhood in particular felt well-written and really hooked me and I specifically enjoyed the way disassociation was framed and how child minds rationalize things in ways that aren’t actually rational. 

While some of the themes were disturbing, it’s never very explicit in its descriptions even though you know exactly what’s happening. It doesn’t read as shock horror and while parts were gross, it didn’t put me off from the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Death, Confinement, Child abuse, Blood, Cannibalism, Misogyny, and Incest

Moderate: Grief, Violence, Pregnancy, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Vomit, Animal death, Bullying, Stalking, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

sohva's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book is not afraid of making you uncomfortable. (Seriously, check the content warnings if you need them.) It however created a fascinating exploration of humanity, belonging, and taboos. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Cannibalism, Violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Incest, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

Minor: Pregnancy and Death of parent

maggierish's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Read the content warnings! The cover and quote on the front make this out to be lighthearted, but it gets dark fast. By the end you’ll be sitting in silence thinking about what you’ve just read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Body horror, Cannibalism, Murder, Gore, Sexual assault, and Incest

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Minor: Vomit and Suicide

readingwithlex's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

HAHAHAHAHA what the fuck 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Incest, Murder, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Gore, Blood, Pregnancy, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Body horror, Death, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Infertility and Infidelity

wizardingwisteria's review

dark fast-paced

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

4.5

I don't even know what to say. That was horrifying but so beautifully written I couldn't look away. 

The guy behind the register at the bookstore I bought this from tried to warn me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Cannibalism, Pedophilia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, Confinement, and Vomit

Minor: Pregnancy

moonsapphire's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Cannibalism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Murder, and Infidelity

Minor: Incest

iheartm4m's review against another edition

challenging dark funny sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Vomit, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Sexual assault, Rape, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Cannibalism, Body horror, Pedophilia, Suicide, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, and Acephobia/Arophobia

auteaandtales's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I don’t think ‘enjoyed’ is really the right word for this. I have a weak stomach so, a lot of the time, I was disgusted and it was a difficult and challenging read. 

Saying that, I did enjoy the social commentary about the ‘Factory’ and how our bodies don’t belong to us. I also enjoyed the storytelling via Piyyut and Planet Popinpobopia. Much like I did with Convenience Store Woman, I really related to the main character and I, too, spent my childhood wondering when my ‘real’ family, the aliens, would come and take me back home (although this was told in a much darker way). 

I’m sure this will be on my mind for a long time, much in the way Convenience Store Woman was. I would definitely read up on the trigger warnings before diving in, though, even if you don’t usually need them. It’s quite disturbing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Acephobia/Arophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Body horror

jcsie's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

chapter 2 had me almost crying on the subway, so thanks for that

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Cannibalism, Murder, Incest, and Death

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Drug use

bdingz's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This is one of the strangest books I’ve ever read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, and Incest

Moderate: Cannibalism

Minor: Pregnancy