Firstly, I read this via the audiobook on Scribd and I kid you not, this is amongst the top audiobooks I've read this year - and it really made the story felt alive, and I loved every single second that I listened to it. So please, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE TO EVERYONE TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK CAUSE BLOODY HELL ITS AMAZING

Sorry for the caps - the emphasization showed how much I loved my experience reading this book. It got me screaming out loud, laughing my heart out and made me gasped so many times. The book somewhat felt like the telling of a tale from a close friend - except that its in the form of a killing alien who was thrown on Earth and somewhat sharing "the deeds" that they had done with someone else. Its both painful to hear but also, VERY VERY ENTERTAINING

Before I go on and on about how amazing the audiobook is - here's some of my thoughts for the book:-

1) Its NOT a book for everyone. I feel that you'll either love or hate the book with no in between of the feelings for each of them. One of the main themes is on sexuality and the state of loneliness (so to readers under 18, please read this with caution ). I felt quite taken with how the author brought forward the topics through the lenses of a monster who needed the warmth that is given from sexual intercourse before killing its prey. It seemed fitting that IT (I don't want to say its name to let yall know yourself) can actually just go into their houses and not do the deed. The need for warmth in how it equates to the state of loneliness is what I found interesting with this book and caught me wanting to know more of its character. Is it weird that I felt a sense of friendship with the alien? Weird - but it also shows the strength in the author's writing in being able to bring out so much emotions all in one single narrator. Its both interesting and intriguing and its one of the winning points of the book.

2) Whilst the story looks to be straightforward, it holds so much more message hidden, and its only available to see to those who wishes to acknowledge it. The author had used a lot of metaphors in his writing and I will have to thank the translator for being able to catch the nuance of the author as well. The narration in which the alien is somewhat talking us to us - the readers - made this a very immersive read. It will catch you and hold you captive until you see through it to the very end , and I'm glad that I stumbled upon this book through Scribd (not sponsored , just loving this app)

3) The concept of 'home' is one of the main themes of the book as well. I felt sorry for the alien as it came to Earth not on its own accord, and using every means for its survival. To the alien, Earth is not home, but there is no place for it to come back home too. It somehow reflected the society that we live in and how the concept of home is often foreign to others more than we care to know. Its both heartbreaking and also showed how loneliness can make humans do things out of their norm.

Now let me convince you to read WITH the audiobook because it literally altered my brain chemistry :')

I KID YOU NOT, I had actually check with both the ebook and audiobook whilst reading the book and I have to say, the audiobook really upped my ratings for this book. It was such an IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE . The narrator had done such a good job in portraying the different character , and it felt like I could actually SEE EACH AND EVERY EXPRESSION . Kudos to the narrator for really embodying the character. I just love it.

A grotesque and yet, such a dark-witty tale of an alien who needed more than just sexual gratification and satisfying its hunger. Its of how every being who knew the feelings of love and to be loved and the state of loneliness in which that you will grasp at anything to keep yourself occupied of the void inside. Its a state where its so engraved in today's society that there is no means to look to one night stands just to feel something to fill up the hollowness. Its a story of the voice who is screaming to be acknowledged by the world, a feeling that is hollow and the fear of being outed to the world by the systemic hardships of the social system.

4.25 for the story but upped to 4.75 because of the audiobook experience

Another story that changed my brain trajectory.