It feels like the only way to describe Sayaka Murata books is by saying they are Sayaka Murata and this one was VERY Sayaka Murata. We get a similar message in this book that we got in Convenience Store Woman, where we encounter characters that wish to be free of the expectations of society, specifically, of breaking away from the idea that women are only demure baby factories. Except that in Earthlings, Murata pretty much shoves us out of our comfort zones as we follow the life of 11-year-old Natsuki who only wishes to fit in somewhere and to make her life her own

This book is not for everyone but it's a reality that we can't just ignore. Warnings for sex between minors, sexual abuse, child abuse, incest, and more

I loved Convenience Store Woman and was thrilled to read Earthlings. I rarely read about asexual characters so that made this book stand out. I can't try to explain the plot, I'll just say, read this!

Oh my goodness! I wanna say I expected nothing less from SM but this was... this was just.... the only things I kept uttering while reading (from beginning to end) was... wtf...

The social commentary was sharp just like her previous novel, of not more. The entire tone of the book was intensely eerie that gives you a sense of foreboding at every turn of the chapter. It was just an experience reading it and I can’t wait to see what else she comes up with cause she’s definitely becoming a favourite author of mine.

I was happy when Netgalley accepted my request for read this book .

Honestly, I was interested to read the book because of the cute cover. When I just started reading the book it totally cut me off because the storyline kind of fantasy which is I don’t quite read a fantasy book .

As the story goes , the storyline really intense which makes me totally angry towards Natsuki’s Mum and her teacher.

I just could not understand why Natsuki’s Mum not even listened to her when she told her that her teacher is sexual harassment her. Many actions of Natsuki’s Mum treated her are so wrong .

After the sexual harassment case , the storyline become more and more RIDICULOUS. I just feel I can’t even continued reading the book but I want to know the ending makes me keep on reading.

The book seriously dark - the book contains mental illness, sexual harassment, child abuse , incest ,cannibalism .

If you are a person who can stand all of the dark elements , maybe the book is for you.

Seriously , I don’t get what’s the point of writing this kind of book. Then , after have a discussion with my friend about the book.

Maybe , the book is to create awareness about mental illness , child abuse , sexual harassment. Parents need to know parenting tips to avoid their children face mental illness. Parents need to observe and listen to their children.

Oh and, seriously this book totally reminds me of a proverb : “ Don’t judge a book by its cover “. Despite of the cute cover page the book totally not as cute as the cover :p

You want crazy? I’ll give you crazy!

This is the most bizarre and unique book I’ve ever read, hands down. Going into this, Geek Love held the title of Weirdest Book Ever, but this book knocked that one off the shelf and stands proudly in its place. Everything in this book is OVER THE TOP (yes, in all caps)! This is just what I needed in a time when our country is over the top in so many ways. Everything in your face, a big deal, all exclamation marks. So why not escape into a book that takes me out of this reality and plops me into a way worse bizarro-land that I can laugh at and marvel at from afar?

I felt nervous at first. Eek, I’d ventured outside my genre. (I seem to be doing that this year.) I was patting myself on the back for that one. I don’t really even know what genre it is. It’s a combo: Dystopian. Sort of. Family drama. Sort of. Horror. Sort of. Here I had landed on the moon, but now what? I was afraid to get out of my spaceship! How bad would it be with moon rocks under my feet? What would I find? Scary!! I finally stepped out, and holy moly was it ever wildly exciting out there!

As I read on, I was getting downright cocky—I’ve got this, oh yeah. For sure it’s one of my favorite books ever! I love every second of it! But then…BUT THEN!! I get to the last scene and it’s WAY too over the top for me. Erase! Erase! Why oh why did the writer go there? But when I think about it, the whole book is so intense and strange, why would I expect anything less as the finale? Suddenly it’s a 4-star read; I can’t give it any less even though I’m pissed that the author went there, went to a place I could not handle. If I take off that final scene (which I can’t, and which I’ll never forget), this is a 6-star read.

It’s hard to talk about the plot without giving too much away, so I’ll just say it’s about a woman who doesn’t fit into society. She wants desperately to conform but she’s no good at it. The book starts with her 11-year-old self. She thinks she’s from another planet (that has a weird, long, and interesting name). Ho, hum, another alienated kid. That part seemed sort of dumb and I wondered if the story would get more interesting (believe me, it does!). Her family is mean and puts pressure on her. There is one very disturbing situation but she takes care of it in the most unusual way. You think she’s pretty cool, but then it gets iffy. Still, you’re on her side.

I could not stop reading. The story is full of nutso ideas and dialogue. At one point, a guy blurts out that he wants to have sex with his grandfather. His friends say it’s not the right thing to do, and then the guy says it’s okay because his grandfather is in a vegetative state. Whaaaaaat? I realize that doesn’t sound funny; you had to be there. You can see what I mean when I say it’s over the top.

The author is Japanese and the book is translated. I wasn’t conscious of the fact that it wasn’t written in English, always a good sign. The writing is simplistic and has a YA feel to it, but note that this cannot be called YA. And the simplicity works because it contrasts so well with the intensity of the story.

I read the author’s earlier novel, Convenience Store Woman, and I liked it. That book, too, is about a woman who doesn’t conform. Of the two books, Earthlings is the knockout. I will follow this writer anywhere.

You have to enjoy bizarre, dramatic stories and have a tolerance for the horrific to like this book. For me, the upsetting scenes were trumped by the wonderfully crazy plot and characters, but this book is not for everyone.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

What a very strange book. Lots of taboo subject matter. The story follows the main character as a 12 year old and then picks up with her as an adult. As in the author's other book, Convenience Store Woman, the main character is very outside the main stream and refuses ( or can't) live life as expected. In this book I think that could have been portrayed without so much of the weird. The over-the-top weird pulled me out of the book and brought me away from the message I think the author was trying to make about societal norms? <- Big question mark there.

Unfortunately this book just didn’t work for me. It was difficult to read through the majority of the novel due to a lot of gross scenes inserted for the sole purpose of shock factor.

I am sorry but I have DNF it.
I really tried with this one, because as far as I have read it is pretty unique, and I really appreciated Natsuki. She is a child who is trying her best to make sense of the world (and let's be honest, it is hard for us grown-up, for a child is a real challenge!) and she is smart, she tries to figure out all, and her self-explanations aren't bad at all. Quite naive, yes, but bittersweet and real. Also, not farfetched at all.
But this book is just too much for me. It made me just so mad (and not because the book is poorly done, it is that it is too well done, and you are there, with Natsuki and with all the adults of her life. The adults that should cherish her, protect her, and make her feel special and brilliant and precious, but that betray her time and again) and it hurts so much. It was overwhelming, and it was just the beginning so I had to stop the reading because it was just too much.

But if you think that this book can be right for you, please give it a chance, because for what I have read of it (I had to stop before hitting 30%, sorry) it is well done and it really deserves to be read.

While there were some very interesting and underlying aspects to this story and the cultural elements added to it. This was probably one of the strangest, most unexpected, and at times disturbing stories I have ever read. Overall it was good - just really weird.

TW for physical & sexual abuse, and graphic violence.

EARTHLINGS by Sayaka Murata is an original coming-of-age story that revolves around Natsuki. As a child, she was abused by her parents and they favored her sister. Her best friend, a plush toy hedgehog named Piyyut, tells her that he has come from the planet Popinpobopia on a special quest to help Natsuki save the Earth. In one summer, when Natsuki was visiting her grandparents, her cousin Yuu reveals that he is an alien that wants to go back to his home planet.

What did I just read?! Through a utterly bold plot, Murata does a brilliant job of writing a heavy commentary on humanity and social expectations in modern society. Murata masterfully makes use of metaphors to explain human nature and tackles issues on oppression, identity, conformism, life's purpose and procreation. Instead of being repelled by the endless disturbing scenes, I was even more absorbed and able to capture the story's message.

When it came to Natsuko early life's abuse, I was angry at her mother's negligence concerning her own daughter. I applaud the cleverly-crafted analogies between factory and society/ conformism and brainwashing in regards to human's life stages - this creative approach is unlike anything I have ever read. Also, the author blatantly examines the (standard) natural course of life - such as marriage and have kids - and questions whether there's a pre-determined path to happiness.
While the characters weren't exactly captivating, they were perfect in showing multiple perspectives and hence a deeper understanding. Lastly, when you think you couldn't be more stunned, there's a shocking ending!

Different from her debut novel "Convenience store woman", EARTHLINGS is an unconventional work and has a completely opposite take. It is an insane journey which the readers will have to trust on Murata's intention.

TW: incest, attempted suicide, cannibalism, sexual abuse, murder, trauma

“Convenience Store Woman” author Sayaka Murata brings us the story of another Japanese society outsider in her most recent novel, “Earthlings.” Natsuki has always felt alienated from those around her, whether it be her parents, who dote on her self-centered sister Kise, or the math teacher who sexually assaults her under the guise of teaching her, or the community, referred to by Natsuki as “the Baby Factory,” which dictates that she must marry and have children to be of any value. When she was young, Natsuki dealt with this alienation by pretending that her plush hedgehog, Piyyut, was an alien being who bestowed magical powers on her; her equally societally-estranged cousin Yuu clings to the belief that he is actually a native of Planet Popinpobopia, a fantasy which Natsuki wholeheartedly embraces and which leads to some unexpected consequences.

Fast forward a few years later and Natsuki is now married to Tomoya, a man she met on a website “where people seeking to evade society’s gaze for some reason...could appeal for information or find collaborators.” Tomoya becomes Natsuki’s ultimate collaborator against the Baby Factory, as the two settle into a “pleasant” but sexless marriage of convenience. But when the demands of society and the Factory eventually start to encroach on Natsuki and Tomoya, they—along with Natsuki’s cousin Yuu—decide to retreat further and further from it and into the resurrected world of Planet Popinpobopia—with devastating results.

This is a hard book to review—it’s quirky and weird and disturbing and totally original (the closest book I’ve read to it might be “My Sister the Serial Killer”). I admired the almost delicate way Murata uses the device of a child’s plush toy to depict the horrific psychological consequences of assault: Natsuki’s belief that Piyyut has taught her the “magical trick” of floating above and outside her body is a clear manifestation of psychological dissociation. But all delicacy disappears by the last act of the book, as an unexpected (and somewhat outrageous) plot development sends “Earthlings” hurtling into the realm of graphic and almost gratuitous violence—made even more jarring by Murata’s flat and affectless delivery. In the end, I admired the skill evident in “Earthlings” more than I enjoyed the novel, but I will definitely read other Sayaka Murata books—she’s a strangely compelling and original voice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The degree of trust Murata places in her readers—that they will connect with the broader conversations in the narrative and not see the sexual violence or extremities in the plot as gratuitous—is mutual. The reader also must trust that Murata has a purpose to it all. Reaching the end of this text, my understanding of where Murata was taking the conversation shifted at times. The representation of the characters as cogs in the greater social wheel, this “factory” as she articulated it, allows for a nuanced conversation around purpose and identity, particularly around gendered understandings of procreation. What she puts her protagonist through in the plot pushes this conversation, and it felt intentionally shocking to read. For me there was a shift in the direction the narrative took in the latter part, and without giving away any spoilers, felt it became more meta even than these initial discussions that had been prompted.
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I couldn’t put this one down and honestly read it with my eyebrows raised for the majority of the book, stopping to let it swirl once I’d finished. It takes a lot for a book to completely catch me off guard and engage in such important discussions in a way I hadn’t anticipated. Read it if you want to continue thinking about some of the conversations she raised in CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN particularly.
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Many thanks to @groveatlantic for a review copy.

What did I just read? I don't know how to describe this book. Let me take a deep breath first.

I was so happy when my request was approved by Netgalley and eager to read this book. But the story beyond my imagination and expectation. Despite the cute book cover, the story is not that cute. This book is dark, intense, odd, creepy, weird and insane! Some of the plots still lingering in my mind. The writing is simple but the message is complicated. I only like Uncle Teruyoshi and didn’t like all the other characters but I will remember them. I hate Natsuki’s mom and Mr. Igasaki, the irresponsible adults. Shame on them!

What I can say is this book is not suitable for all. Please think twice before picking up as the book contains trigger warnings such as sexual child abuse, mental illness, incest and cannibalism. If you’re a sensitive person, I advise you not to pick up this book.

Overall, this book is not for me.

Earthlings is surprising, sad, infuriating, horrifying, and compassionate. It is not at all what I expected. Murata takes the basic premise—a young girl thinks she is from an alien planet—and turns it upside down, shattering any light-hearted preconceptions I had in the beginning.

Natsuki, our protagonist and observer, uses her alien origin story as a defense mechanism for some truly horrible abuses that are piled on her. At one point, I had to put the book down for awhile, as I was so furious. We follow her as a child, and then as an adult, as she reunites with her childhood friend and cousin, Yuu, accompanied by her husband. The story of these three characters is about self-preservation, and finding a way to live as a free individual in a society that values the community's desires and goals over one's own. All three are viewed as outsiders in society, where they reject certain norms, but come together to create a new world where they all feel safe and able to explore.

While the plot is bizarre, and the ending grotesque and shocking, the implications of the actions of our trio of outsiders gives one a lot to think about. Through this darkness, Murata expertly questions what it is to be normal, and what it means to live vs. what it means to survive. The way Murata constructs Natsuki's world view is refreshing and allowed me to consider some aspects of human society from an outsider's perspective. I don't know much about Japanese society, but this book gives a glimpse into how important conformity is, and how everyone has to sacrifice something to uphold their end of the social bargain. There are also really interesting, and sad, observations about gender roles and expectations throughout the story. It was shocking to read at times, as issues that seem like not a big deal to me, as an American, cause so much conflict in Natsuki's life.

What a crazy, fascinating, other-worldly book EARTHLINGS is. After reading CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN, this was a perfect follow-up as it takes some of the similar themes and ramps them up 100%. This book is an experience. I love books like that, and it doesn't happen all that often, so I'm so excited to announce that this is definitely an EXPERIENCE.

I don't want to give away too much, but the jist of the story is that it revolves around a young girl, Natsuki, who believes her and her cousin (whom she is in love with) are aliens from the planet Popinpobopia. There are tons of twists and turns, some extremely upsetting, but Murata's writing sinks its claws into you and doesn't let go until it's over. It's a super tough read though, but I think it's worth it in the end. It is such an insight into a particular part of Japanese culture, and full of characters I'll never forget. If you have yet to experience Murata, I highly recommend giving her a try.

This must be one of the weirdest books I've ever read and I know this will stick with me for a while in the back of my mind.
The author writes mostly about societal norms and what it means to live outside those boundaries.
It's hard to read at times due to content about sexual and verbal abuse of children, mental health issues, murder and cannibalism.
It certainly packs a punch.

Thanks Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Piyyut had taught me the magical power of invisibility. I didn't actually become invisible. I just held my breath and could make myself go unnoticed".

Natsuki's best friend was a stuffed animal, a white hedgehog she named Piyyut. Piyyut "couldn't speak human" but had given Natsuki magical powers. Yearly, Natsuki's extended family met up in the Akishina Mountains during the Obon Festival. Natsuki and her cousin Yuu shared their most intimate secrets. She spoke about the Planet Popinpobopia. Yuu said he was an alien. "I'm always secretly looking for the spaceship that will come and take me home". "The magician would be the girlfriend of the alien...until he traveled back to his home planet". Natsuki dreamed of going with Yuu in his spaceship [as his bride] to Planet Popinpobopia. Connection...closeness...a marriage ceremony officiated by Piyyut...a marriage pledge..."survive, whatever it takes".

Why would Natsuki just "survive"?. In Natsuki's words, "I had to study hard to become a work tool...I had to become...one of society's components...a reproductive organ for the town". Attendance in cram school...private lessons...inappropriate touches..."Weird alarm bells were ringing in my head". Natsuki retreated into her out of body self. Natsuki and Yuu, two innocents, regretful actions...all future trips to Akishina permanently cancelled.

Fast forward twenty three years. There is a push to fulfill societal expectations, to serve "The Factory", focusing on marriage, work and child bearing. It would be shameful to create a life outside the box. The pressure to marry and procreate was immense. Trauma in childhood has created an "otherworldliness', feelings of being an outsider. Must everyone conform to the factory mentality? Natsuki married Tomoyo three years ago. Tomoyo, an asexual male and housemate, had helped create the illusion of a good marriage, a benefit to both partners. Natsuki, Yuu and Tomoyo were on a collision course. Forcing conformity on them will have dire consequences. Long buried secrets will surface and behavior will spiral out of control.

"The Earthlings" by Sayaka Murata creates a society in which rigid expectations are thrust upon its citizens. How did Natsuki, Yuu and Tomoyo become outsiders? Should they be shunned for living against the grain of society? What life experiences factored into their behavior? You must read this tome to find out. Unfortunately, for this reader, as the weirdness factor increased, the enjoyment decreased as the tome barreled to its intense ending.

Thank you Grove Atlantic and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Earthlings, Murata continues to explore themes of fitting in and being different, within the family and in society as a whole. No other writer can portray personal alienation quite like her, through simple, matter-of-fact, heartfelt, personal realities. She is crushingly good at making us feel what her characters feel!

With Natsuki, Murata takes her protagonist's alienation to an entirely different level. What we see as a young heroine's endearing quirkiness quickly escalates, through no fault of her own, to tragedy and trauma. The novel turns dark by Chapter 3, and only grows more so by the page.

The writing is brilliant, the premise is thought-provoking, but the storyline grows so exaggerated as to almost become B-movie horror by the end. For this reason, and because of the many triggering subjects, I find it hard to offer a blanket recommendation of this novel, despite desperately wanting to.

If you are a fan of Murata's do read this; just prepare yourself a bit more than the back cover blurb might suggest when it comes to "shocking."

What the hell just happened
This book was a complete chaotic fiction read. It messed up my brain for one and it was convincingly very well written. I admire the strength of the author to write about themes contrasting to the very worst misogyny in our society. I have always hated the fact about how our society judges everyone's life and this is eerily and very horrifyingly portrayed in the book. The writing and translation was a splendid work which has me engrossed in the book until the very last page and that is something.

I will never forget these characters and will never be able to erase just how much this book says about the damned society of ours. The planet and alien references were innocent at first but then got out of hand very quickly. The failure of being a loving parent to her daughter Natsuki was what made me so sad. I just couldn't stop reading this disturbing book, it made sense yet seemed so wrong. The very idea of the triggers of sexual abuse of children, minor sex, murder etc.. was jarring and my brain needed breaks at times.

This book is highly disturbing and I urge you to think twice before picking it up if you are a sensitive person. It has the vibes similar to 'The Vegetarian by Han Kang' and this was my first book from this author. I'd love nothing more but to discuss this book but then I'll have the revisit too many spoilers and so I'll stop here. Thankyou netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the review copy and I enjoyed reading this book is a bittersweet way. #earthlings #netgalley #sayakamurata

If you have read Convenience Store Woman, about the outcast, Keiko. That was just an amuse-bouche compared to Earthlings.

It starts innocent enough and then spirals from 0 to 60 into verbal abuse of a child, a graphic child sexual abuse scene from the POV of the child, to gruesome murder, violence and cannibalism. The story is so fascinating and WTF? that you can't stop reading.

I can only categorize it like a dark fantasy critique on (Japanese?) society. It focusses a lot on misogyny.

If you like reading horror, you will like this. And I say this as someone who doesn't like Stephen King but found this book fascinating.