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A review by cuteling
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
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.
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.
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