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crimsonjoy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Cannibalism, Pedophilia, Murder, Incest, Violence, Physical abuse, and Gore
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Vomit
katyamarcelle's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Incest and Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Confinement and Suicide
spooky_coochie'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Pedophilia, Incest, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Misogyny, Sexism, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Vomit, Suicide, and Eating disorder
himinotebook's review
- 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
4.0
Sayaka Murata has (at least within the scope of my worldview and experiences) one of the most palpably empathetic understandings of what it means to navigate this world as a woman foremost, but also just a person, who is marginalised by society in some way. She treats societal expectations as almost a sort of body horror-like violence inflicted upon her protagonists, often finding themselves being dragged kicking and screaming to the expectations of marriage, gender roles and especially procreation like escapees of a cult. There is this oppressive feeling echoed by the characters that they know they can run but they can't hide.
In Earthlings, our protagonist Natsuki and her husband conceptualise themselves as sort of rogue agents, aliens on a planet with an almost authoritarian drive towards upholding the nuclear family. Natsuki suffers trauma after trauma as a child, inflicted upon her by the adults around her. She understands the very real cognitive dissonance of how unpersoned and abused living children are in a world that also insists children are the most important thing. She considers this understanding some sort of defect in herself, as very few people around her also seem to see it.
Reading Earthlings, the adage of art disturbing the comfortable and comforting the disturbed rattled around in my head a lot. By the end of the book, when things start taking a sudden turn for the horrific, the meaning I took from this crystallised starkly. Natsuki is able to find self actualisation through deep transgression. In a world that treats her as a tool, a motif that is repeated throughout, not belonging to herself, she does the unthinkable to herself and to other willing (maybe a couple not so willing) participants, and feels autonomous for the first time in her life. Nothing that's ever been done to her was done with her consent, so the only way she can conceptualise freedom is through this, exacting horrors upon herself of her own will. The normalised banal invasiveness and dehumanisation of social pressure is contrasted with literal, visceral violence as if to say "See? This is what it feels like"
With all that said, the writing keeps Murata's whimsical and matter-of-factly dark comedic tone throughout, even through some very affronting scenes and imagery so if you think that might make this one hard to stomach then I don't blame you.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Body horror, Incest, Cannibalism, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Physical abuse
kianiz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
FUTURE READER: HEED THE TRIGGER WARNINGS! THERE ARE A LOT.
Ok, now that I’ve had a day to simmer, this is legitimately one of the most disturbing books I’ve read. I’m not easily triggered or disgusted but
Not to mention the
I still don’t know if I liked it or not. It’s impactful for sure, but is it a story that I’d ever want to revisit? FUCK NO. I already wish I could deep clean my brain.
Graphic: Blood, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Acephobia/Arophobia, Rape, Incest, Murder, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
iheartm4m's review against another edition
- 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
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
- 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
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.
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
lorenag5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Acephobia/Arophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual assault
snerp_reads's review against another edition
- 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
2.75
I did enjoy the small tidbits of world-building around Natsuki's belief in Popinpobopia, and
I thought we would've gotten a longer narrative through her childhood,
I enjoyed the concept Murata created, and was drawn in to read more when she used it to explore Natsuki's feelings and reactions to the mistreatment of her by the adults around her, but I feel the book ultimately veered too hard into shock-value territory, and caused any potential messages or analysis to be flung out.
Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Cannibalism, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Vomit, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Infidelity, Eating disorder, Death, Stalking, and Infertility
fomko's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Suicide, Incest, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Mental illness, Cannibalism, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Acephobia/Arophobia, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse