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A review by readingintothevoid
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
challenging
dark
4.5
WOAH. I did NOT expect this AT ALL. All I’d heard about this book is that it’s weird and that there’s this little alien hedgehog stuffed animal. So I went into this thinking it was going to be a silly book and that could not have been further from the truth.
MASSIVE trigger warnings for verbal and physical child abuse by parents, a teacher grooming and sexually assaulting an elementary school girl and then her mother beating her, not believing her, and blaming her. Attempted suicide. And then several more people throughout the book not believing and blaming the sexual assault survivor.
Honestly, if I’d known about these triggers beforehand, I wouldn’t have read the book and if I hadn’t read from and liked Sayaka Murata before, I would have quit when the grooming began.
BUT I had really enjoyed the book so far and loved Convenience Store Woman so I persevered and I’m glad I did.
I can see why this isn’t super highly rated—same as Convenience Store Woman, but I love a book that really truly dives deep in questioning social norms and pushing the boundaries of what’s acceptable. Sayaka Murata does this in a way that so many authors try and fail to—a way that is absolutely uncomfortable, but that in my opinion isn’t gratuitous, purely for shock value, or seemingly promoting the acts of horror depicted.
My heart aches for the children in this story and the adults they become and I feel only rage and disdain for the “normal” people in their lives. I 100% believed the feelings and actions of Natsuki and was horrified as well as astonished and understanding of the ways she coped with her trauma. GUH I am DISGUSTED by what happened in this book, but not by the popinpobopians who were surviving after terrible trauma. I’m not saying I’m advocating for following their lead (although Natsuki taking out that “witch”, I do support), but I do understand and they never sought to hurt anyone else—just survive against harm and attacks from the “norms”.
Anyway, I’m rambling now cuz this has me all twisted up especially because even while this story seems like it might be a little far fetched—it actually isn’t. Children and the adults they grow into deal with this type of trauma every day and they all find different ways to cope.
I think Sayaka Murata is now officially an auto buy author for me.
MASSIVE trigger warnings for verbal and physical child abuse by parents, a teacher grooming and sexually assaulting an elementary school girl and then her mother beating her, not believing her, and blaming her. Attempted suicide. And then several more people throughout the book not believing and blaming the sexual assault survivor.
Honestly, if I’d known about these triggers beforehand, I wouldn’t have read the book and if I hadn’t read from and liked Sayaka Murata before, I would have quit when the grooming began.
BUT I had really enjoyed the book so far and loved Convenience Store Woman so I persevered and I’m glad I did.
I can see why this isn’t super highly rated—same as Convenience Store Woman, but I love a book that really truly dives deep in questioning social norms and pushing the boundaries of what’s acceptable. Sayaka Murata does this in a way that so many authors try and fail to—a way that is absolutely uncomfortable, but that in my opinion isn’t gratuitous, purely for shock value, or seemingly promoting the acts of horror depicted.
My heart aches for the children in this story and the adults they become and I feel only rage and disdain for the “normal” people in their lives. I 100% believed the feelings and actions of Natsuki and was horrified as well as astonished and understanding of the ways she coped with her trauma. GUH I am DISGUSTED by what happened in this book, but not by the popinpobopians who were surviving after terrible trauma. I’m not saying I’m advocating for following their lead (although Natsuki taking out that “witch”, I do support), but I do understand and they never sought to hurt anyone else—just survive against harm and attacks from the “norms”.
Anyway, I’m rambling now cuz this has me all twisted up especially because even while this story seems like it might be a little far fetched—it actually isn’t. Children and the adults they grow into deal with this type of trauma every day and they all find different ways to cope.
I think Sayaka Murata is now officially an auto buy author for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Physical abuse