A review by themirrorball
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

challenging dark medium-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

4.5

i started this book after reading convenience store woman, having no idea what it was about or what it would contain. needless to say i was shocked reading this book. throughout the book, a very innocent and simple narrative voice is used to describe things that are incredibly horrific. the contradiction of this makes the book all the more creepy and disturbing. i think this feeling was intentional by the author, and in my opinion it is a sign of extremely good writing that she was able to capture that. murata uses the grotesque imagery to shine a light on the dangers and confinements of modern society and capitalism. the way natsuki interprets the world around her, mistaking her trauma and trauma responses for magical powers is a uniqe take that shows the terrifying effects of trauma. genius book that while i physically cringed while reading it i couldn’t put down.
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