A Promising Start, a Disappointing Finish: My Take on Earthoids by Saya Kamatani

I stumbled upon Saya Kamatani's book, Earthoids, without knowing much about her, but I ended up with two of her books somehow. The first one, Human Combination, is apparently her best work, but it didn't blow me away. The second one, Earthoids, didn't quite live up to my expectations either, but I figured I'd give it a read since I'd already bought it. The presentation of this book is a bit more straightforward - it's a standard paperback with a soft cover, rather than a pocket-sized book. The pages are a bit yellowed, and the font is fairly large, but it feels like a proper book, rather than just a short story. The page count is around 250 pages.

Earthoids. Saya KamataniSynopsis: Natsumi is unlike any other girl. She has a magic wand and a transformation mirror. She could be a witch or an alien from another planet. Along with her cousin Yu, Natsumi spends the summer in the wild mountains of Nagano, dreaming of other worlds. When a terrible chain of events threatens to tear the two children apart forever, they make a promise: to survive no matter what. Now Natsumi is all grown up. She's living a quiet life with her husband and trying to fit in, pretending to be normal. But the demands of her family are growing, her friends are puzzled as to why she's still not pregnant, and the dark shadows of her past are haunting her. Escaping from the suburbs to the mountains of her childhood, Natsumi is preparing to reunite with Yu. Does he still remember their promise? And will he help her keep it?

The cover features an adorable little hedgehog, which is exactly the kind of toy our 10-year-old protagonist bought at the supermarket using the money she received as a gift on a big holiday. And this little hedgehog changed Natsumi's life, revealing its secret and teaching her how to use magic. But I'll get to that later - after all, it's not every day that a plush toy suddenly starts talking to you!

The first three pages of this book are like a masterclass in setting the tone. At first, I thought it was going to be something like a Studio Ghibli film, like My Neighbor Totoro. I was expecting a whimsical, dreamlike quality, with cosmic illustrations that would transport kids to another world. But I was totally off the mark. Naoki's life is way more complicated than it should be for a 10-year-old. She's got a big, loud family: mom, dad, an older sister who's a couple of years older and more outgoing, and a whole bunch of relatives who aren't as close. Every summer, they head to their grandma's house, where they're joined by her five siblings, their spouses, kids, and it's this amazing annual family reunion. But what Naoki's really looking forward to is seeing her cousin Yuu - he's a bit of an oddball, but Naoki's always been able to roll with it.

Mom was always yelling at me to shut up, to stop being so annoying. And it wasn't like she was trying to fix me or anything - she just needed a punching bag, and I was it. She'd pick on me, either with her words or her fists, and it was like she was trying to calm herself down.

Yu is convinced he came to Earth from outer space, that his asteroid crashed and he's been searching for it ever since. Later on, they figure out that his home planet is called Popikambokeia, and they both want to get back there together. They only have a few days a year to meet up at their grandma's house to make plans for the future. Both kids are living in tough situations - Yu's mom asks him to call her by her name, but then dumps all her problems on him, treating him like a little husband rather than a son.

I've always had a voice in my head, telling me what to do. Even as a kid, I knew what was expected of me. Especially when the grown-ups were being quiet, I could still hear them loud and clear. Mom's voice was the loudest of all - she'd command me to do things without even saying a word. And I'd do it, without questioning it, because I knew I had to.

Naoki's family hates her.

Our trash can is actually a person - me. When mom, dad, or my sister get all worked up, they just dump their crap on me.

Her older sister is jealous of Naoki's more outgoing personality, mom thinks Naoki's a failure, and beats her in front of others, dad just pretends everything is fine. The only person Naoki can count on is her stuffed rabbit, who can read her thoughts and teach her how to control her magic. Like, if she clenches her fists, stops talking, and focuses, she can make herself disappear.

This book is a heart-wrenching and complex exploration of children forced to survive in a world of adults. It's heartbreaking to see them, and the young adults they become, struggling with the complexities of growing up.

"Surviving, no matter what it takes" - that's what Yuu and I wrote on the inside of our hearts. But how much longer can I survive? Will I ever start living?

The same translator who worked on The Human Combination and many of Haruki Murakami's best works, which I highly regard. This is one of those rare cases where the translation is truly exceptional. Thanks to one translator, two works seem to be written in the same language.The author's voice shines through. I think, although I may be wrong, that her personality is prominent in her works. The same psychological issues, the same family dynamics - mom, dad, and sister. The same perception of society and its expectations as something foreign, hostile, wrong, and unacceptable.Here on Earth, young women are expected to fall in love and have sex - and those who don't get labeled as "lonely nerds" who are "wasting their lives" and will "regret it later".

I wouldn't say this is my kind of book, but it was engaging and interesting to read. If I come across more of her stories, I might not buy them, but I'd probably take a look.

Saya Kamatanixa0

The first five chapters were excellent, and I was sad to see the book coming to an end. I wanted to slow down and stretch it out a bit longer. But I finished it in one go. Unfortunately, the ending was a letdown. It's one of those cases where the last 50 pages ruined the whole experience. Of course, that's just my opinion, and someone might enjoy it. As an alternative, you could read the first half of the book and then stop at the sixth chapter, making up your own ending. In that case, this would be a very sad and socially charged novel.xa0

I have to say, this book doesn't live up to its initial appearance. And it's not like the plot twist is even justified. It feels like the author just got tired of writing and wrapped things up however they pleased. I'm seriously disappointed. I was really looking forward to re-reading this book, and I love re-reading things I enjoy. But this one's not happening. The ending is just awful.The foreword is a major spoiler. I have no idea why it was placed at the beginning of the book instead of the end. Maybe it was meant to scare off potential readers, but it's not like they chose a particularly shocking event. There were plenty of worse things in the book. So, it doesn't really serve as a trigger warning, but it does give away part of the plot. That's just frustrating.I wouldn't recommend this book to sensitive readers - it's just too disturbing. And it's not like it's worth tolerating for a good story or thought-provoking social commentary. No, this is just gratuitous shock value, and it's both unnecessary and in poor taste.Who's it for? Definitely not for kids, although Popcorn Books seems to cater to that demographic. This is a book for adults, with complex and sad themes. It's about kids who are forced to adapt, are traumatized, unloved, and vulnerable. Essentially, it's a book for fans of literature about kids who are left to fend for themselves, with adults nearby who don't help but hinder.

Who's this book for?It's for fans of Stephen King's stories and novels about kids, friendship, and support, as well as a variety of other trashy content like Ryu Murakami, Chuck Palahniuk, and so on. It's a niche audience, to say the least. Maybe they'll appreciate it.

Земляноиды. Саяка МуратаWhere to buy and how much? I bought my copy from Avito for 180 rubles. If you want a new book, you can find it for around 400-500 rubles at any bookstore or major marketplace.

And that's it?

I've said it ten times, but the ending ruined everything for me. I don't know how to rate this. The first five chapters are amazing - a solid five stars, even though the story is complex, disturbing, and morally ambiguous. But that's what I like. The last two chapters are a minus ten, but since I can't give a minus score, let's just say I'd give them one star. Average rating: three stars. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, because that's just not how you wrap up a story.

By the way, even if you've read The Human Combining, it's no guarantee you'll like this one. The books have a common theme, but they're very different.

Anyway, I strongly don't recommend it to anyone. I'm angry, disappointed, and hurt that the author just ruined the book like that.

The bestseller of 2018 was Saya Murata's "The Human Combining Machine"