A review by sleepylaurka
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

to me, it wasn't as shocking and absurd as most readers say so. i'd rather say i do think this is a very uncomfortable story about a neglected child with its boundaries violated and ways to escape the harm she experienced. we can observe the way traumatized her mind protects itself from the way adult disappointed and hurted her, and later on just make her an outcast with little to no ability to live in the society as a normal earthling. 
even the ending wasn't scary. it was all just very sad.