Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

27 reviews

cuteling's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.5

This was the 2nd, of the only 3 (the other two being Life Ceremony and Convenience Store Woman) Sayaka Muratas books translated to english, that i've read. 

TW FOR THIS BOOK: pedophilia, domestic abuse, rape, incest, cannibalism, murder

The story is about a little girl named Natsuki, who is 11 at the beginning of the book and who is verbally and sometimes physically abused by her own mother and sister, and overlooked by her father. 
As the story unravels, we are presented with pedophilia, incest, domestic abuse, murder, cannibalism but also the delusion of a little girl unable to cope with everything coming her way. Because of this, Natsuki seems to be under the impression that her plush hedgehog Piyyut, that she's bought with her own money when she was only 6 years old, is an alien from a planet called Popinbopibia, talking to her and giving her magical items that help her deal with feelings so great they don't fit inside her fragile little body.
Piyyut tells her that she's the only one who can save the Earth and that's why she has to do certain things (to avoid spoilers i won't elaborate any further), but in reality she's taking desperate measures in order to save herself. 

Deeper into the story we follow Natsukis desperate journey to be, once again just as in the other two books, accepted by the "Factory" (that is what she calls the society) until the very end of her sanity.

Overall I recommend this book just would suggest reading it third with the order being  
Life Ceremony (it gives you the best idea of what kind of a writer Sayaka Murata is, in my opinion) 
-> Convenience Store Woman (shorter, milder compared to the other two, cleanses your pallet)
-> Earthlings (the most disturbing and strange of the three, HUGE TW for: pedophilia, incest, cannibalism, rape, domestic abuse, murder).

The book is very well written and never had me bored and i was surprised at just how explicitly described some of the scenes were. 
I give it 4.5/5 ★, making it my favorite of the three. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

kibiiiariii's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

What did I just read... It was amazing!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Abandonment, Death, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Acephobia/Arophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Cursing, Body shaming, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Murder

leenutbutter's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

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

i didn't like it. nothing that was written on the back could have warned me about the traumatic shit that was about to happen

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Pedophilia, Death, Genocide, Stalking, Suicide, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Murder, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

dilfpercyshelley's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

What a way to begin my 2023 reads.  I was completely enthralled by this book. It made me angry and uncomfortable and joyous and revolted and i simply couldn’t put it down. The fast pace of Murata’s writing aids this, of course, but primarily her incredibly vivid depictions of such beautiful and gruesome things captivated me like nothing else.

i think, perhaps, the aspect that the negative reviewers are missing from their experience is the whole point of the story. sure, it touches on everything revolting you could conjure and, subsequently, that may make it an uncomfortable read. However, you simply have to read it as if you are also not human. I thoroughly enjoyed detaching myself from society for a few days to relish in the disgust and revolt, and i think that’s why i loved it so much. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Incest, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Vomit and Stalking

jelian_casapao's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Cannibalism, Incest, Sexual assault, Stalking, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse

hilarylouise's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Incest, Death, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, and Grief

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Murder, Misogyny, and Infidelity

Minor: Stalking

Victim blaming

clemeslibrary's review

dark medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Incest, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Stalking

fox_at_the_circus's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

The tone of this book is amazing. Starting from the first chapter, even though nothing has happened yet and it's describing a family visit, you get the feeling that something is wrong. And that feeling only grows during the book, as more and more things happen.
It does a great job of exploring trauma and how it effects the main character. For the most part I found myself agreeing with the main character and how she critisises society and its boundaries. But then the book pretty suddenly becomes even dark and horrifying, and even makes you question yourself for agreeing. The open end leaves you really unsettled, it's great horror.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Murder, and Rape

Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, Sexism, Blood, and Mental illness

Minor: Stalking

stitchbooks22's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

1.0

Basic writing, crazy characters and just all kinds of messed up. Really wasn’t for me and I really hope in time I can forget I ever read this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Gore, Blood, Death, Incest, and Rape

Moderate: Gaslighting and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Infertility, Vomit, Acephobia/Arophobia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Stalking

spooderman's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Incest, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, Sexual violence, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gore, Sexual harassment, and Violence

Moderate: Infertility, Misogyny, Self harm, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Stalking, and Suicide

Minor: Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Vomit