Earthlings

OK. Weirdest thing I've read in a long time. Not really sure how/why I finished it, especially as the first third-or-so, in which Natsuki is eleven, is a distinctly uncomfortable read. The CWs I've listed aren't even all the topics I'd probably mention, but I've forgotten some and others... I'm not even sure how I'd describe them. When you strip out all of the dialled-up-to-eleven weirdness, what you're left with is a novel that might have interesting things to say about how people (particularly Japanese women) deal with societal norms, expectations, and pressure, and about how the construction of a fantasy world can make sense as a way of dealing with childhood trauma. For me, though, it all felt a bit too heavy-handed -- the constant invocation of 'the Factory' felt a bit much after a while. Note: I haven't given a star rating because I just don't know how to rate it.

Really sucks you into a view of the everyday in a new way. Eerie and also disturbing at the same time. This book was not incredibly fun or interesting in terms of the story itself but it was so well told and the narrator did a charming job that I had to keep listening.

There are a few passages that haunt me long after I've finished it, where the protagonist reflects on her experiences and reasoning and relationships...

Ultimately I think this book could be used by psychology professors as a fantastic example of dissociation as a result of trauma. It was captivating to see her worldview slowly realign itself and justify the way things are and what she needs to do to survive. Less a novel of plot than a character study in that way.

Not for the squeamish!