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frenchkey's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
This is probably the most disturbing book I've ever read. Hugely compelling, fantastically translated and completely horrifying. Murata creates so much sympathy for the characters and then tests exactly how long that can last. This book will haunt me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Incest, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Mental illness, Child abuse, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Addiction, Blood, and Drug use
pennepasta's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Grief, Rape, Gore, Addiction, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Body horror, Sexual content, Blood, and Death
lightasmoths's review against another edition
excessively graphic
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Body horror, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
afi_whatafireads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
You know what, after thinking about it for a bit, this book DESERVES A 5 FREAKING STARS AND HERE'S WHY.
πππππππ ππΌππππππ : π¨πππͺππ‘ πππͺπ¨π, πππ©π§ππ’π πππ¨π‘ππππ©ππ£π, πππ¨ππ¨π¨π€ππππ©ππ€π£, ππππ©π, πππ£π£ππππ‘ππ¨π’, π₯πππ€π₯πππ‘ππ'
Who would've thought that a book that has that extreme of trigger warnings would get a 5 stars from me.
Lowkey I am still losing my mind while writing this review. HOW COME A BOOK LESS THAN 200 PAGES CAN MAKE YOU FEEL SO MUCH?! Like THERE WERE ONLY 6 CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK, IT WAS FREAKING MINDBLOWING AND INSANE?!
Okay Afi lets come down and write out my thoughts about this.
This book was every bit disturbing. Not only it was dark and has elements of gore, it includes a sort-of alternate reality where only these certain people can comprehend and understand.
AND WOW, PLEASE DO NOT . EVER . BE. TRICKED. BY. THAT. CUTE. COVER.
I remembered a time where everyone in my circle was reading this book, and literally everyone was either so perturbed that they hated it or it was so disturbing and they loved it. As for me, since I'm not that in the right sound of mind either, I'm in the latter half of the group, where it was SO. EXTREMELY DISTURBING, that leaves you unhinged and yet so bloody good .
Murata started of the book with a light tone, about a young girl that went to her village for the Obon festival. It was almost comically cruel of Murata to make the readers think that this would be a "OH-CUTE-COVER-THIS-WOULD-BE-FUN-READ', only having it turned out to be a very dark, and disturbing turn at Chapter 2.
The book is heavily based on the social commentaries on the acceptance of people that are different than what the community deemed as "normal". Natsuki is a character that made you feel that she deserved to live in a planet that is in her head. What throws you off more is how very Nonchalant the writing was. Not only it was straightforward but it was so, very-statement-like, that you felt the so-called "Imaginations" that the children had when they were younger were actually real. Murata's writing in such a way made us absorbed with the plot of the story, the characters lives. What's more fascinating is how the book is just a 199 pages book but gives you so much impact that my mind is still literally just reeling thinking about it.
Murata brought onto the topic of Children of Neglect and Abuse in a different light. There were so many times you felt just slapping EVERY. SINGLE. ADULT in this book. The Disassociation, which Natsuki named it as her "out-of-body-superpowers" was a sign that children that has been mentally abused usually used as a form of coping mechanism. It was hard reading about Yuu and Natsuki and the struggles that they had growing up, which shaped them into the adult that they are now. Murata showed on how a person who seeks and strives to be normal to the normal people's standards, that they would do, everything, and anything, just to survive.
πππππππ ππΌππππππ : π¨πππͺππ‘ πππͺπ¨π, πππ©π§ππ’π πππ¨π‘ππππ©ππ£π, πππ¨ππ¨π¨π€ππππ©ππ€π£, ππππ©π, πππ£π£ππππ‘ππ¨π’, π₯πππ€π₯πππ‘ππ'
Who would've thought that a book that has that extreme of trigger warnings would get a 5 stars from me.
Lowkey I am still losing my mind while writing this review. HOW COME A BOOK LESS THAN 200 PAGES CAN MAKE YOU FEEL SO MUCH?! Like THERE WERE ONLY 6 CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK, IT WAS FREAKING MINDBLOWING AND INSANE?!
Okay Afi lets come down and write out my thoughts about this.
This book was every bit disturbing. Not only it was dark and has elements of gore, it includes a sort-of alternate reality where only these certain people can comprehend and understand.
AND WOW, PLEASE DO NOT . EVER . BE. TRICKED. BY. THAT. CUTE. COVER.
I remembered a time where everyone in my circle was reading this book, and literally everyone was either so perturbed that they hated it or it was so disturbing and they loved it. As for me, since I'm not that in the right sound of mind either, I'm in the latter half of the group, where it was SO. EXTREMELY DISTURBING, that leaves you unhinged and yet so bloody good .
Murata started of the book with a light tone, about a young girl that went to her village for the Obon festival. It was almost comically cruel of Murata to make the readers think that this would be a "OH-CUTE-COVER-THIS-WOULD-BE-FUN-READ', only having it turned out to be a very dark, and disturbing turn at Chapter 2.
The book is heavily based on the social commentaries on the acceptance of people that are different than what the community deemed as "normal". Natsuki is a character that made you feel that she deserved to live in a planet that is in her head. What throws you off more is how very Nonchalant the writing was. Not only it was straightforward but it was so, very-statement-like, that you felt the so-called "Imaginations" that the children had when they were younger were actually real. Murata's writing in such a way made us absorbed with the plot of the story, the characters lives. What's more fascinating is how the book is just a 199 pages book but gives you so much impact that my mind is still literally just reeling thinking about it.
Murata brought onto the topic of Children of Neglect and Abuse in a different light. There were so many times you felt just slapping EVERY. SINGLE. ADULT in this book. The Disassociation, which Natsuki named it as her "out-of-body-superpowers" was a sign that children that has been mentally abused usually used as a form of coping mechanism. It was hard reading about Yuu and Natsuki and the struggles that they had growing up, which shaped them into the adult that they are now. Murata showed on how a person who seeks and strives to be normal to the normal people's standards, that they would do, everything, and anything, just to survive.
"How long did I have to survive for? Would I ever be able to live without constantly trying to survive?"
If that is not a cry for help, then I don't know what it is.
Murata also brought forth the issues revolving victims of sexual abuse. Mind you, that I was UTTERLY DISGUSTED and almost vomitted myself (My biggest trigger warning is rape but this one is just so... blrgh) and the way that everyone is handling it, whenever Natsuki tried to tell someone, was not much different than the reality now, which made it more horrifying, and well, heartbreaking. My heart breaks for her, not only for her unfit family who abuses her, but also for the community that belittles her problem and turned the blame on her. I was so emotionally attached to Natsuki, in how brave she was to survive the world. In conventional and traditional methods, it is not the right way, but in some ways, you can't help but feel sorry for the adults that they've turned out to be, and this, is mainly because of their environment who did nothing to help them as a child.
"Please don't throw me out. I'll listen and obey whatever you say, just please don't throw me out. A child thrown out by adults will die. Please don't kill me.
There was nothing happy that was in the book. In some ways, I'd like to imagine Natsuki, Yuu and Tomoya are living in that planet of theirs, happy and contempt without the rest of the world having a say of what they have to do. By all means, morally, I don't support whatever they had done, but, we have to admit that the failure of an adult is also stemmed from the failure of the community and the adults before them into protecting them. The characters in here grew up to be social outcasts and someone that is deemed "crazy" but , if help were offered to them sooner, they won't be spiraling that way.
Such a well-written book on the repercussions of child of neglect, abuse on children and also neglect from the community as well. Murata wrote it in a way that makes it impactful and refreshing. Mind you, its very dark, and so so so very disturbing, but the points of the story really sticks to you, and that's when you know that the author had done a splendid job.
Highly recommended but proceed with caution. I understand people will be uncomfortable with this book, but boy, this book will be one of my top reads this year. Its bloody good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Addiction, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Cannibalism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting
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