It's been a while since I actually regretted reading something, but in the case of Earthlings the mismatch between what I expected and what was in the book was so big, and the book so dark and gruesome that I almost didn't finish. Earthlings is a weird book but not fun, quirky weird. Told from the perspective of an 11-year-old girl and written in simple sentences, the story revolves around the desire to escape societal pressure to conform, particularly the pressure for women to produce babies. As the protagonist, Natsuki, ages, her childhood traumas (which are recounted in detail) bolster new imaginary narratives and delusions that help her survive. Perhaps it's the disconnect between the simple, straightforward child's voice and the absolute horror of the actual events of the book that made it so disturbing for me, but ultimately I just wished there had been multiple up-front content warnings for various types of violence and abuse so I would've gone in more prepared, or just steered clear.