Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

70 reviews

haruday's review against another edition

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I.... can't even rate this. I don't even know how to give this a rating.

I saw the spoiler warnings of graphic content, so I prepared myself before diving into it, but this book was so hyped I thought I could look past it. And I did for the most part.

On the surface, this story is a horror tragedy of a young girl abused and controlled by the adults around her, unable to be taken seriously, losing her voice, autonomy, right to her own body and free will. She struggles to make sense of the world and her womanhood the best she knows how, with no healthy adult figures around to guide her or to rely on. So she disassociates. Believes she is anything but an Earthling. Things become an out-of-body experience, and she is only an observer, biding her time for reasons unknown. The only solace she finds in life is her childhood "sweetheart," Yuu.

The scene after Natsuki is taken advantage of by that fooking pedophilic sicko of a teacher is contrasted heavily by her intimacy with Yuu. Aside from the fact that he's her cousin (sweet home Alabama), at that moment, she's just a child desperate to be with someone she cares about. She wants her first to be with someone who is so starkly different to her grotesque abuser. Yuu is portrayed as shy, soft-spoken, kind, almost feminine. Everything that that "man" is not. And most of all, she trusts him to be intimate with her, even if neither of them understand the repercussions of their actions. Obviously, I do not condone any type of incest or sexual acts between minors, but it does happen. I enjoyed that the author didn't shy away from these taboo topics, and found myself empathizing with why Natsuki had behaved how she did. In a way, it was a very childlike, pure moment - a human instinct - to want to be comforted in that way. This scene stood out the most to me.


Again, unfortunately these types of horrid situations happen, with teachers taking advantage of children, family members that turn a blind eye, parents that are abusive and controlling, "friends" who have something to say about your sex life and family life, people that think they make up for their past actions by having children and contributing to the population... The book is shocking in its subject matter as it slowly unravels these gruesome experiences in an innocent, child-like perspective. Some of the thoughts are almost comedic and very fantastical, with mentions of aliens and magic. But the horror slowly dawns on you as you continue to flip the pages - a feeling that creeps up, slowly but surely, a sure warning for what's to come.

All fine. And then, it gets to the latter half of the book.

One after another, everything hits you on the head like a brick. Things happen. And I drew the last line at the
cannibalism
. Definitely a provocative read that made me feel super queasy at the end. I was literally squinting and skimming through the last few pages trying really hard not to visualize the scenes. Thought I could stomach it, but definitely going to be taking the content warnings more seriously in the future. I'm definitely not a horror girlie.

Overall, I feel very mixed about this book, so I'll refrain from giving it a rating. I can see how it's so divisive, but I did feel like it was very raw and real in the beginning half. I'm glad I was able to power through though and finish for my October reading challenge... you just probably wouldn't catch me reading it through a second time.

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cow_png's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

ok wow uh, I really didn't expect anything that happened in this book. Please look at the content warning before reading this book. 
In the first few chapters, I felt like the author went a bit too in detail about things and made it longer than they needed it to be like
when Natsuki got taken advantage of in the teacher's house, I felt extremely uncomfortable and kept thinking "ok so this is where it is going to stop" and it just kept going.

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hellocath's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
…bruh idk what to tell you other than check the trigger warnings and multiply them by 10 and never EVER take suggestions from BookTok

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emilyandthewhippet's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Uncomfortable and something that you're not going to forget for a long time. I'm not sure that's a good thing though. The first half was traumatic and the second... I don't even know? Not a nice read but well written.

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markwillnevercry's review against another edition

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0.25

Yeah, no, thanks, I'm good, me and Sayaka Murata are just not chilling together, such is life sometimes. This was just not good, not for me at least. I kinda get what the author was going for, but just because an idea exists, it does not mean that it should be put to life. The amount of trigger warnings that this book needs is way to big, even tho it says basically the same thing as Convenience Store Woman. I will not continue with this author.

Reading notes:

Just a reminder, that we have two sex scenes, where Natsuki is 12.

The second she started talking about copying the way her friends talk it was just like "Ah yes, this is just reskinned convenience store woman".

There is victim blaming. 

This book is published in 2018 and there is talk about how Natsuki does not have permission from her husband :)
Why are we here :)

Ah yes, Natsuki has the responsibility to have sex with her husband :)

-//- 

Ah yes, Natsuki was so lucky that her teacher was in love with her :)

Of course only Natsuki cares about love, it is not a manly thing :)

I am tired :)

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plumdustsuns's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0


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elanilanella's review against another edition

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Do not read this book without first looking at the content warnings!!! Unless you're at peak mental health with no trauma of course, then go forth with my envy.

Picking up this book, with a reviewer using the word 'hilarious' on the front, with its bright green, cute hedgehog plushie and vibrant energy, I thought I was settling in for a lighthearted while at times sad read about a girl who was navigating being different and had a vivid imagination. While those things are true of the book, nothing could have prepared me for the horrors within the pages (though some content warnings would have been much appreciated). 
Before I knew it I had been frozen for half the book, unable to stop reading, my own trauma being triggered time and time again by this innocent looking book rooting me to the spot. At one point I  almost threw up. I know they say not to judge a book by its cover but you'd think there'd be some correlation in tone between the graphic design and the content within. Nothing about the book was 'hilarious' in the slightest, nor was it cute.

It was very well written and I have no doubt it's a good book, but I am currently not robust enough mentally to continue with it, though I might one day pick Earthlings up again when I'm more prepared for what may ensue. 

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skyeuqx's review against another edition

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challenging dark slow-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

2.0


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kassmin08's review against another edition

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

4.0

Speechless 

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dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I can’t decide whether this is a chilling indictment on collectivist society’s imperative to conform, the lack of supports provided to traumatized peoples, and the profound effects of formative trauma, or whether it is a chilling indictment on the lack of supports provided to traumatized peoples, the profound effects of formative trauma, and a cautionary fable about the need for both support and societal control because otherwise people go off and do absolutely bonkers things. </spoilers>

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