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A review by chuckstafer
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Wow wow wow. This novel got unhinged in such an unexpected way in the final chapter and it really turned the book around!
There were parts of this novel that were very cringy, but it was also full of heart and understanding at the same time. I think this was a hard tale for me to read due to the evident abuse that the main character (and some of the supporting characters) endured by their parents and the rest of their community that really broke them. Some of the things other characters (especially Natsuki's mother) said to her were horrible and I had a hard time reading how she was being treated at some points. To me, this was a very difficult story to read due to how horrible people can be to each other, especially to those who are clearly reaching out for help.
But all that aside, this was a good novel overall that I think suffered from an issue with some extra fluff that could have been cut out, but nothing that severely hindered the story or anything like that.
There were parts of this novel that were very cringy, but it was also full of heart and understanding at the same time. I think this was a hard tale for me to read due to the evident abuse that the main character (and some of the supporting characters) endured by their parents and the rest of their community that really broke them. Some of the things other characters (especially Natsuki's mother) said to her were horrible and I had a hard time reading how she was being treated at some points. To me, this was a very difficult story to read due to how horrible people can be to each other, especially to those who are clearly reaching out for help.
But all that aside, this was a good novel overall that I think suffered from an issue with some extra fluff that could have been cut out, but nothing that severely hindered the story or anything like that.