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sydthewitch'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? It's complicated
3.75
(I will say one of the stories was completely unreadable for me as someone with sensory sensitivities.)
Graphic: Abandonment, Cannibalism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy and Classism
Minor: Stalking
jasminrain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Cannibalism, and Body horror
Moderate: Pregnancy, Medical content, and Vomit
Minor: Animal death and Stalking
kilianisreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Cannibalism
Moderate: Pregnancy, Vomit, and Mental illness
Minor: Stalking
scribblinginthemargins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Cannibalism, Incest, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
chrlt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Death, Pregnancy, Body horror, Toxic relationship, and Cannibalism
farenmaddox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Cannibalism
Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, and Pregnancy
nialiversuch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, Abandonment, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Bullying, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
aunticles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Pregnancy, Cannibalism, Death, Dysphoria, Gore, Medical content, Vomit, and Sexual content
arieslofi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Gore
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Incest and Pregnancy
cuteling's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Life Ceremony is a collection of 13 stories, some shorter - some longer, varying in topics going from furniture out of human remains, cannibalism, keeping a grown man as a pet, inanimate objects having feelings for a human being, obsession with bodily fluids, and overall just crazy and bizarre stories about the society and expectations people have for each other and how brainwashed everyone is.
In most stories there's a weird theme that's considered normal and the standard in that particular chapter and it highlights how society looks down on people that don't fit in or obey and become a "beneficial" part of the society.
I like how the book portrays basically the same message in most of these, because despite being about almost identical issues Sayaka manages to shine light on them in so many different ways and angles that they all feel very distinct.
Overall I recommend this book just would suggest reading it first 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).
There were some stories that i wasn't particularly fond of, either because i didn't like the topic or found it a bit boring. On the other hand there were stories i absolutely adored with my favorite two being Body Magic and Puzzle!
I give it 4.25/5 ★.
Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder, Incest, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Excrement, Cannibalism, Stalking, Vomit, and Medical trauma