A review by readerette
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

challenging dark emotional fast-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

4.75

I did not like this story, but I respected it, and I couldn't put it down. While it's about aliens and magic and imagination and belonging, for me it's mostly about trauma, both the violent kind and the everyday kind, where we live in a world where so few people really know and care about the deeper truths of the other people in their lives. It's well written and I was intrigued by the characters. The last chapter or so did feel disconnected from the rest of the story; I haven't figured out how (or if) it's supposed to make me think about the real world differently, not a problem I had with the rest of the book.

Very much pay attention to the trigger warnings on this one.

If the triggers in this one are too much, I'd suggest that Convenience Store Woman has similar themes and tone (the everyday traumas) but with much less violence and abuse.
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