Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

4 reviews

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

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.

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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

justmys's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.75

So...uhhh...right. This book. Sure does umm book doesnt it? I feel like I need a hug haha!

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

a cannibalistic mini cult who fully believe they are aliens

. 

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Gore, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Cannibalism, Death, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Bullying, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Body shaming

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 Cannibalism

reb_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

5.0

This is the weirdest book I’ve ever read and a very interesting Marxist metaphor. Please see trigger warnings 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Gore, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence