Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

174 reviews

groovybree's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death, Sexual violence, Bullying, Cannibalism, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Incest, Physical abuse, and Violence

jstvz's review

dark

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Death, Self harm, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, and Suicide

auteaandtales's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

I don’t think ‘enjoyed’ is really the right word for this. I have a weak stomach so, a lot of the time, I was disgusted and it was a difficult and challenging read. 

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

behindherpages's review

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Incest, Murder, Cannibalism, Rape, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Child abuse, and Death

Moderate: Confinement

jesssicawho's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Without a doubt, the weirdest book I’ve ever read. Themes of assimilation, alienation, abuse - check the CWs because this one is HEAVY. I honestly don’t know how to rate this. Strange, unpleasant, but somewhat affecting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Body horror, Incest, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Cannibalism

mijtje's review against another edition

dark sad 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? Yes

2.5

This book is Convenience Store Woman on steroids. The same theme, basically the same protagonist and the same husband. Only this one is totally unhinged. 

First quarter: almost DNF’ed because of explicitly described sexual abuse of a child. I firmly believe this should not be in a book. I hate when something like this is described in detail; I don’t need to spend 5 minutes reading about it to know how horrible it is. It is also such a serious theme that it felt inappropriate to read about it in such a weird, almost playful manner. The same goes for the victim shaming later on in the book.

The rest felt like a Grocery Store Woman do-over, but then with an alien instead of a grocery store woman.

And then came the last quarter of the book. THAT was the kind of insane absurdity I was looking for. Redeemed the book a little bit, even got it up to 3 stars, and made it feel very different from The Grocery Woman.

ALL THE TRIGGER WARNINGS THOUGH. Seriously. This book is easily the weirdest I have ever read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Gore

kickitupanotch7's review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Gaslighting

Explicit csa in chapter two and some emotional incest between cousins.

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

sinja_a's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

2.0

Trauma galore. Painfully so. Unhinged for the sake of being unhinged. I understand why there are people enjoying this. I am not one of them. 
Please check trigger warnings. There is rarely something that fades to black. To go into this blind is not a good idea. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Incest, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Vomit, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Stalking, Bullying, Death of parent, Body horror, and Body shaming

bookishtraveler's review against another edition

I loved "Convenience Store Woman" for its life perspective and Sayaka Murata's quirky, tender writing.  And "Earthlings" was very similar in writing style and theme.  HOWEVER, the triggers in this book were much darker and more than I could take in a New England winter.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Pedophilia, and Sexual harassment