Nothing has left me this kind of speechless before... I finished this a few days ago but still don't think I've figured out all that I want to say. Especially because this is something I'm certain I'll think about for the rest of my life.

Absolutely incredible, vulnerable, hilarious, challenging, SO friggin sharp.
From the very first line, I was determined to ignore all responsibilities and finish in one sitting. When I tell you I COULD NOT put it down, I mean I brought my kindle with me so I could read at the gas station while my car was filling up.

Saou Ichikawa challenged what I thought I knew (no exaggeration there), taught me a LOT I didn't already know (and may not have ever learned otherwise), and made me laugh out loud enough times I lost count. More than 3 though, otherwise I would have remembered to use "a few". That's a lot for a book w 112 pages.
I will 110% be getting a trophy copy the second I can get it in my hands IRL. Like, I'd stand in line for this.

I've never read anything this powerful around disability, and that's saying a lot because I've read How To Tell When We Will Die by Johanna Hedva. Anyone else who has read HTTWWWD knows that it's pretty radical (in a good way).

If you need me, I'll be seeking out everything Saou Ichikawa has written that's been translated to English so far. The second I saw Polly Barton's name I should have already known this would be a knockout, though. There's been nothing of hers I didn't immediately fall in love with.

{Thank you bunches to Saou Ichikawa, Polly Barton, NetGalley, Random House as a whole, and Hogarth specifically for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!}

(Will be waiting to post my full review until closer to pub day, but links below are what will be shown as my review in the meantime)

I am not sure what to think about this one overall. I really liked the main character's desire to just be a "normal" girl and going after that. However, during her intimate session her life was put at risk and there wasn't any mention about how her partner in the session ran away. He made it seem like it was her fault. This may have just been my preference on wanting to call people out of their wrong doings. The ending was also bit confusing as to if it was a fictional story or real life. I had to read the transition to it a few times to make sure I wasn't missing anything. A little more editing could have gone into it as it seemed a bit disjointed at times.

Super weird book but not necessarily in the way that I like. I honestly wanted a lot more of this book! I thought with it being longer it would have a lot more to give

Thank you to net galley for my free copy in exchange for my honest review! I was really looking forward to this book since I am also disabled, however the book fell flat for me. There was too much sex talk and too much COVID talk. I also wish there was more of a story/plot. However, I did really enjoy the main character's inner dialogue since I felt it was so relatable (especially to my situation) and it was nice to read a book where the main character has a disability.

4.5 ⭐️ A very raw account of a Japanese woman with a rare disability who resides in a group care facility.

I appreciated the author’s candor when it came to describing day to day life with the type of disability the main character (and the author) suffer from. This is not an easy read, it will make you uncomfortable, might even gross you out, but I felt it helped get the author’s message across: How society dismisses the sexual desires of those suffering with a disability.

I was not expecting that ending.

Loved!

I'm a big fan of short novella-style books and this one hits quick and hard! Shaka has a congenital muscle disorder that has curved her spine and stunted her muscle development to the point that she has to use a ventilator to breathe. Despite her physical condition, which keeps her in a group home, her mind is expansive, sharp, and curious. Her first-person perspective throughout the novel is unflinching and straightforward - from the descriptions of her daily struggles to breathe and move around her apartment to her insights about society. The ending was sharp and I enjoyed how it twists/skews things at the end. The straightforward voices throughout are propulsive and the mix of story-within-a-story narratives gives complexity. I really enjoyed this fast, engaging read!

Disabled bodies can do what abled bodies can. This quirky novella celebrates disabilities and comments on the potential for people with disabilities to live out their lives fully

4.5

Wow, this was hard to put down. I appreciate how the author really kept the reader on her toes; I often felt off-kilter in a way that made me want to figure out exactly what the author wanted me to know. I was also completely engrossed in the MC’s discussion of her daily struggles, things that most people take for granted. I was shocked by the ending’s turn of events, which made me want to start the book over again from the very beginning. I’m going to be thinking about its layers and nuances, as well as its more blatant commentary, for a long time. I only wish it were longer! I could have kept on reading Shaka’s story.

I would say that this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025, and it did not disappoint. This is definitely a strange read. It follows Shaka, a disabled woman in Japan, living with a degenerative muscle disorder called myotubular myopathy, which causes her to live in a group home. She spends her days studying, and also tweeting the provocative thoughts that cross her mind that she can’t voice. One of her male carers eventually reveals that he has read her tweets, and they make an arrangement. I didn’t expect this to have as much erotica as it did, but it didn’t necessarily take away from the book. This book is about Shaka and her thoughts as a disabled woman living in ableist Japan. I would say that the plot takes a backseat to her inner monologue, and I liked that aspect of it, honestly. I really enjoyed this book. It was weird, and eye opening, and I loved seeing Shaka’s thoughts. 4.5 rounded up. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Hogarth for the Advanced Reader’s ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This novella follows Shaka, a wealthy woman with a degenerative disease. She lives a sheltered life confined to her care home. However, the internet expands her world. She's getting her second degree online, she has a job writing erotica, AND she uses Twitter like its her diary -- revealing her innermost thoughts and dark fantasies.

One day she discovers that one of the caretakers has seen her tweets. They strike up a bargain. Things do not go as planned.

This book is short!! I do feel like the second half could have been fleshed out a little bit longer -- the end happens a little too quickly and I would have liked to raise the stakes for Shaka a lot more.

This book is refreshing, frank, and provocative. It is not for everyone but it might just tickle the fancy of Ottessa Moshfegh's more adventurous fans.

A very strange, but thought provoking novella. A quick read into the life of a disabled person in Japan. Very engaging.

a bit scattered in my opinion, but might be the flurry of other reads that have been more plotty. the concepts of this book are really interesting!

A brisk, and very surprising debut! I finished it in one sitting. Hilarious, but also a little heart-breaking.

Everyone should read this.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley!

A quirky novella by a writer who, in many ways, resembles her protagonist. It tells the intimate story of a woman with significant physical limitations who can write with authenticity about a sex club she's never visited. You'll be perplexed at times and rewarded by the end

Hm I didn’t love this until I got to the very end. Loved the end. Think it was the perfect length to get me invested slightly in the characters. What a full circle ending.

Hunchback is a debut novella by Japanese author Saou Ichikawa. Ichikawa is a woman with a degenerative disease called Myotubular myopathy.

The main character of Hunchback is Shaka, a young woman with myotubular myopathy, a degenerative disease. Living in a care home, she spends her days posting provocative tweets, writing explicit erotica for secret accounts and insisting on living life on her terms. She considers herself an outsider, a "monstrous hunchback."

Ichikawa's darkly funny book can be challenging to read. The graphic snippets of erotica are often jarring, and the unconventional structure occasionally leaves readers uncertain about what's happening. The prose is direct and unflinching. While North American standards for accommodating people with disabilities still have room for improvement, Japanese standards appear to be even lower. As she describes it, in a country where people don't want to stand out, Japan works on the “basis [that] disabled people don’t exist.”

Award-winning and a smash hit in Japan, Hunchback is now available in English due to the great work of translator Polly Barton. It comes out on March 18, 2025. Thank you to #netgalley and Hogarth for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this look at a disabled woman in Japan and the limitations of her life, as well as her economic privilege after her parents left her with a care home and a significant amount of money. Her interest in academia and erotica were really interesting to read- I never would've considered the privilege of being able to hold a heavy book long enough to read it. Online spaces really do provide an outlet and a sense of community for those who are not typically accepted in society, and seeing that portrayed here was really nice (as well as the limits and dangers of being so honest online, and how nothing is truly anonymous). I also appreciated the look at how Japanese society handles disability compared to the West, particularly the US and France. The US has a lot of problems, but I recognize we are lucky to have things like the ADA- it does give some equity other countries don't have, though of course we have a long way to go in the US as well.

My only qualm is I didn't quite understand the ending. I went back to reread it and still am not sure I get it, but it is very thought-provoking even if I don't fully understand what happened/how it fit into the rest of the book.

Highly recommend this one.

HUNCHBACK by Saou Ichikawa paints a gruesome yet deeply human portrait of a disabled woman’s experience in ableist Tokyo. Shaka inherits an enviable bank account and spends her time collecting esoterica. But what she’s the most curious about lives in the recesses of her Twitter feed: prostitution, pregnancy, and abortion - all things that, seemingly, Shaka is incapable of experiencing, until a caretaker in her group home considers her call for a sperm donor. Clearly this is a novel that’s never been done before, and that’s mostly what I liked about it. However, the caliber of the first half (writing & plot) felt stronger than the latter half. It does offer a unique window into disability in Japanese society, though.

very strange and provocative lil book! a bit touching and thought-provoking, good insight into a life & set of circumstances that I know little about, from a unique perspective that kept me engaged. wasn't a fav, but enjoyed it enough!

thanks hogarth and netgalley for the advanced copy <3

I can imagine this book will create something of a stir, with its raunchy and shocking content, written from the point of view of a disabled woman.
As fiction, it’s very short, very explicit, sui generis and pretty provocative. There’s humor here, and an element of frankness, but it’s scarcely an enjoyable read. An eye- opener, in several senses.