The best bits in this short story collection are weird, gory, and uncomfortable. I LOVE Murata’s writing so I was very excited to read this e-ARC and the first chapter and the titular chapter are absolutely what I hoped for. Visceral, nasty, and full of sharp, dystopian insights about how our societies might twist and turns. I’d love to use the cannibalism and body horror chapters to discuss environmentalism, death, and waste in my classes. 

Some chapters were less exciting and the pace and tone felt a bit uneven. Overall, I think this is the perfect one sit read if you can enjoy the gross surreal sections.