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elanilanella's review
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.
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
skyeuqx's review against another edition
- 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
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
kassmin08's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Murder
dragon_s_hoard's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
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
justmys's review
- 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
Sayaka Murata has a hell of a skill in making you deeply, deeply uncomfortable very quickly. This book begins following an autistic girl who doesn't fit in with the world but has found her coping mechanisms through fantasy and a friend in her cousin who thinks similarly. And then...we just yeet ourselves off the cliff entirely.
We go from child using fantasy to find understanding in a world that's always just to the left of their understanding, to SA to finally
I mean, hats off to Murata for the book. Just as disturbing and powerful as Convenience Store Woman. She writes neurodiversity and the way the world is viewed with such terrifying accuracy and isn't afraid or ashamed to tackle hard topics through their lenses.
But, yeah, fair warning going in this gets wild and dark fast. The ending felt like I'd stepped off the edge of a hill and was rolling fast to the rocks below.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Please read Trigger Warnings before going into this one if it's something you require. The most notable right off the bat are: Child SA Grooming Child Abuse SA Cannibalismbehemoths_spawn's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Confinement, Eating disorder, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, and Alcohol
persephone0000's review
- 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? Yes
3.0
What I can say about how this was written, it was done very well. It lulled the reader into a sense of relaxation because the narrator of the story is the MC whose life she was telling, even though there were some disturbing experiences she had, she made it through as calmly and as if without trauma but we all know she's riddled with trauma that she's hiding. And then the way she dealt with it in the end was utterly disturbing but told so matter-of-factly as if over tea and cakes I couldn't stop listening even though I was pretty sick to my stomach. Now I know I can never handle reading books with themes as difficult as this ever again. And I hope never to be tricked into it again.
Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement and Eating disorder
Minor: Bullying, Suicide, and Gaslighting
waownou's review
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
First book in a while to really make the world around me disappear.
I do wonder how much the taboo subjects contributed to how shocking the book got or if it was Murata's skill? I didn't feel like immediately tossing the book when it came to the more gruesome acts, so that's surely skill?
I would liken this book to a confronting piece of performance art. Glad I observed the piece and was confronted, but not going to go out of my way to seek it out again.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Cannibalism
uryun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this is weird as fuck, i don't know how else to describe it. it was good, an absolute mindfuck
read at your own discretion
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
porporina's review
- 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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Alcohol