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himinotebook's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Sayaka Murata has (at least within the scope of my worldview and experiences) one of the most palpably empathetic understandings of what it means to navigate this world as a woman foremost, but also just a person, who is marginalised by society in some way. She treats societal expectations as almost a sort of body horror-like violence inflicted upon her protagonists, often finding themselves being dragged kicking and screaming to the expectations of marriage, gender roles and especially procreation like escapees of a cult. There is this oppressive feeling echoed by the characters that they know they can run but they can't hide.
In Earthlings, our protagonist Natsuki and her husband conceptualise themselves as sort of rogue agents, aliens on a planet with an almost authoritarian drive towards upholding the nuclear family. Natsuki suffers trauma after trauma as a child, inflicted upon her by the adults around her. She understands the very real cognitive dissonance of how unpersoned and abused living children are in a world that also insists children are the most important thing. She considers this understanding some sort of defect in herself, as very few people around her also seem to see it.
Reading Earthlings, the adage of art disturbing the comfortable and comforting the disturbed rattled around in my head a lot. By the end of the book, when things start taking a sudden turn for the horrific, the meaning I took from this crystallised starkly. Natsuki is able to find self actualisation through deep transgression. In a world that treats her as a tool, a motif that is repeated throughout, not belonging to herself, she does the unthinkable to herself and to other willing (maybe a couple not so willing) participants, and feels autonomous for the first time in her life. Nothing that's ever been done to her was done with her consent, so the only way she can conceptualise freedom is through this, exacting horrors upon herself of her own will. The normalised banal invasiveness and dehumanisation of social pressure is contrasted with literal, visceral violence as if to say "See? This is what it feels like"
With all that said, the writing keeps Murata's whimsical and matter-of-factly dark comedic tone throughout, even through some very affronting scenes and imagery so if you think that might make this one hard to stomach then I don't blame you.
Graphic: Body horror, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Physical abuse
motherthing's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Cannibalism, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Murder
iheartm4m's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
auteaandtales's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Saying that, I did enjoy the social commentary about the ‘Factory’ and how our bodies don’t belong to us. I also enjoyed the storytelling via Piyyut and Planet Popinpobopia. Much like I did with Convenience Store Woman, I really related to the main character and I, too, spent my childhood wondering when my ‘real’ family, the aliens, would come and take me back home (although this was told in a much darker way).
I’m sure this will be on my mind for a long time, much in the way Convenience Store Woman was. I would definitely read up on the trigger warnings before diving in, though, even if you don’t usually need them. It’s quite disturbing.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Cannibalism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
lorenag5'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
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Cannibalism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
snerp_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I did enjoy the small tidbits of world-building around Natsuki's belief in Popinpobopia, and
I thought we would've gotten a longer narrative through her childhood,
I enjoyed the concept Murata created, and was drawn in to read more when she used it to explore Natsuki's feelings and reactions to the mistreatment of her by the adults around her, but I feel the book ultimately veered too hard into shock-value territory, and caused any potential messages or analysis to be flung out.
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Drug abuse, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death, Eating disorder, Infertility, Infidelity, and Stalking
fomko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
rarityfemme's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Stalking, and Pregnancy
bekiethebanished's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
emjbarnes'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
3.5
This is very readable but was a tough read. Highly recommend checking the content warnings for this one before you begin
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Blood, Cannibalism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Incest and Suicide attempt
Minor: Bullying, Infertility, Infidelity, and Death of parent