Earthlings, by Sayaka Murata

Okay, this book was as weird as people warned me it would be, and its very shocking, confusing and uncomfortable. This book deals with a LOT of taboo subjects, and I do recommend checking more detailed review with trigger warnings or spoilers before reading if you do not want to read about certain kinds of abuse or shocking things.

The story is told from the perspective of a young Japanese girl who believes that she has magical powers, and that her cousin and childhood best friend is an alien. As she grows up, she goes through a lot of traumatic events and is let down by her loved ones and society, and regresses back to her childhood fantasies and beliefs, and ends up involving her husband and cousin in her fantastical universe.

Book aesthetic - all photos from Unsplash