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A review by lkmreads
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
challenging
dark
sad
medium-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
4.0
This book was a wild ride.
I went into this book knowing little more than what the blurb offered. Boy, did it get dark <i>quickly</i> and I did not expect it at all.
Just as a warning to those wishing to read it:
There is rape, fairly graphic depiction of a teacher abusing a minor.
Also abuse, physical and psychological, of minors (and adults, I guess).
Incest between cousins, mentions of trying other types of incest.
Cannibalism.
And lots of insanity in between.
It was hard to put it down once I started it, it really drew me in, and I could really understand what most the characters were going through for the first part of the book. I could really understand that they needed the escapism of thinking they were aliens to survive the dark things they went through, and I could sympathize with the convenience marriage, which I thought was a great solution to their problems.
In all, I was really taken by the story and ready to give it 5 stars, up until the three characters decided to escape together to "live as aliens". What made me rate it down then? It wasn't so much that they embraced the insanity, not even the cannibalism, thought it was pretty gross to read, but that the rationalizations they drew from "being aliens" made zero sense. And I know, I guess you can't expect people who've gone insane to make sense, but the turn it took seemed still just so out of the blue, it completely took me out of it.
In all, I highly recommend the first part of the book if you like weird, dark stuff . I thought the use of the alien thing as a coping mechanism was really well done; but the latter part after the 3 decide to just live as aliens... yeah, I'd stop there.
I went into this book knowing little more than what the blurb offered. Boy, did it get dark <i>quickly</i> and I did not expect it at all.
There is rape, fairly graphic depiction of a teacher abusing a minor.
Also abuse, physical and psychological, of minors (and adults, I guess).
Incest between cousins, mentions of trying other types of incest.
Cannibalism.
And lots of insanity in between.
It was hard to put it down once I started it, it really drew me in, and I could really understand what most the characters were going through for the first part of the book. I could really understand that they needed the escapism of thinking they were aliens to survive the dark things they went through, and I could sympathize with the convenience marriage, which I thought was a great solution to their problems.
In all, I was really taken by the story and ready to give it 5 stars, up until the three characters decided to escape together to "live as aliens". What made me rate it down then? It wasn't so much that they embraced the insanity, not even the cannibalism, thought it was pretty gross to read, but that the rationalizations they drew from "being aliens" made zero sense. And I know, I guess you can't expect people who've gone insane to make sense, but the turn it took seemed still just so out of the blue, it completely took me out of it.
In all, I highly recommend the first part of the book if you like weird, dark stuff . I thought the use of the alien thing as a coping mechanism was really well done; but the latter part after the 3 decide to just live as aliens... yeah, I'd stop there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Gore, Rape, Incest, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Sexual content
Minor: Pregnancy