elanilanella's review against another edition
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.
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Murder, Acephobia/Arophobia, Sexual assault, Incest, Child abuse, Violence, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, and Mental illness
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization
jasperkelley2015's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Pedophilia, Murder, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Cannibalism, Body shaming, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Sexual assault, Violence, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Incest, Gore, and Body horror
fedelikeslego's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m so confused I feel like I’m high. That’s what it feels like at the end of the “experience ”. I felt so high that their discussions had perfectly made sense.
I think that the book could be divided in two parts:
- The first ⅓ of the book. Here incest and rape/pedophilia were extremely explicit and I’m not sure I liked that. Even if the love story between the kids was so cute (they were so innocent it didn’t “bothered me that much”), I don’t think that it was necessary to explicitly write for pages about all the sexual intercourses that the protagonist had. It was too much.
- The last ⅔ of the book. This part was a bit more enjoyable, and it’s more centred about what it means to live in this world and in particular in Japan. Murata definitely makes a perfect description of the Japanese society (it would probably make sense only if you lived in Japan or a similar asian country), it’s just so sad and frustrating. In the last chapter, as i said, I felt like I was high. I’m still trying to process what I red. I’m just confused, nothing else.
Movie reccomendation: The Holy mountain (1973), I felt the same way reading the book and watching the movie. Different plot, different settings, same vibes.
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Gore, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Infertility, Vomit, Body shaming, Bullying, and Death of parent
irenelpynn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Cannibalism, Sexism, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Incest, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Gore, Blood, Violence, and Misogyny
faerie_child's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Acephobia/Arophobia, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, Misogyny, and Suicide
sonichkavibe's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Cannibalism, Murder, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Torture, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Vomit, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Incest, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Blood
nicolinebl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, and Gore
Moderate: Pedophilia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, and Death
Minor: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Eating disorder
the_escapist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Cannibalism and Mental illness
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Blood
fendergender's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
is this still a really good read with a unique perspective i've never seen anywhere else? yes. would i recommend you go into it knowing as little as possible besides trigger warnings? yes. but that ending is not for the faint of heart oh my god
Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
Minor: Emotional abuse and Forced institutionalization