Disabled bodies can do what abled bodies can. This quirky novella celebrates disabilities and comments on the potential for people with disabilities to live out their lives fully

4.5

Wow, this was hard to put down. I appreciate how the author really kept the reader on her toes; I often felt off-kilter in a way that made me want to figure out exactly what the author wanted me to know. I was also completely engrossed in the MC’s discussion of her daily struggles, things that most people take for granted. I was shocked by the ending’s turn of events, which made me want to start the book over again from the very beginning. I’m going to be thinking about its layers and nuances, as well as its more blatant commentary, for a long time. I only wish it were longer! I could have kept on reading Shaka’s story.

I would say that this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025, and it did not disappoint. This is definitely a strange read. It follows Shaka, a disabled woman in Japan, living with a degenerative muscle disorder called myotubular myopathy, which causes her to live in a group home. She spends her days studying, and also tweeting the provocative thoughts that cross her mind that she can’t voice. One of her male carers eventually reveals that he has read her tweets, and they make an arrangement. I didn’t expect this to have as much erotica as it did, but it didn’t necessarily take away from the book. This book is about Shaka and her thoughts as a disabled woman living in ableist Japan. I would say that the plot takes a backseat to her inner monologue, and I liked that aspect of it, honestly. I really enjoyed this book. It was weird, and eye opening, and I loved seeing Shaka’s thoughts. 4.5 rounded up. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Hogarth for the Advanced Reader’s ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This novella follows Shaka, a wealthy woman with a degenerative disease. She lives a sheltered life confined to her care home. However, the internet expands her world. She's getting her second degree online, she has a job writing erotica, AND she uses Twitter like its her diary -- revealing her innermost thoughts and dark fantasies.

One day she discovers that one of the caretakers has seen her tweets. They strike up a bargain. Things do not go as planned.

This book is short!! I do feel like the second half could have been fleshed out a little bit longer -- the end happens a little too quickly and I would have liked to raise the stakes for Shaka a lot more.

This book is refreshing, frank, and provocative. It is not for everyone but it might just tickle the fancy of Ottessa Moshfegh's more adventurous fans.

A very strange, but thought provoking novella. A quick read into the life of a disabled person in Japan. Very engaging.

a bit scattered in my opinion, but might be the flurry of other reads that have been more plotty. the concepts of this book are really interesting!

A brisk, and very surprising debut! I finished it in one sitting. Hilarious, but also a little heart-breaking.

Everyone should read this.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley!

A quirky novella by a writer who, in many ways, resembles her protagonist. It tells the intimate story of a woman with significant physical limitations who can write with authenticity about a sex club she's never visited. You'll be perplexed at times and rewarded by the end

Hm I didn’t love this until I got to the very end. Loved the end. Think it was the perfect length to get me invested slightly in the characters. What a full circle ending.

Hunchback is a debut novella by Japanese author Saou Ichikawa. Ichikawa is a woman with a degenerative disease called Myotubular myopathy.

The main character of Hunchback is Shaka, a young woman with myotubular myopathy, a degenerative disease. Living in a care home, she spends her days posting provocative tweets, writing explicit erotica for secret accounts and insisting on living life on her terms. She considers herself an outsider, a "monstrous hunchback."

Ichikawa's darkly funny book can be challenging to read. The graphic snippets of erotica are often jarring, and the unconventional structure occasionally leaves readers uncertain about what's happening. The prose is direct and unflinching. While North American standards for accommodating people with disabilities still have room for improvement, Japanese standards appear to be even lower. As she describes it, in a country where people don't want to stand out, Japan works on the “basis [that] disabled people don’t exist.”

Award-winning and a smash hit in Japan, Hunchback is now available in English due to the great work of translator Polly Barton. It comes out on March 18, 2025. Thank you to #netgalley and Hogarth for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this look at a disabled woman in Japan and the limitations of her life, as well as her economic privilege after her parents left her with a care home and a significant amount of money. Her interest in academia and erotica were really interesting to read- I never would've considered the privilege of being able to hold a heavy book long enough to read it. Online spaces really do provide an outlet and a sense of community for those who are not typically accepted in society, and seeing that portrayed here was really nice (as well as the limits and dangers of being so honest online, and how nothing is truly anonymous). I also appreciated the look at how Japanese society handles disability compared to the West, particularly the US and France. The US has a lot of problems, but I recognize we are lucky to have things like the ADA- it does give some equity other countries don't have, though of course we have a long way to go in the US as well.

My only qualm is I didn't quite understand the ending. I went back to reread it and still am not sure I get it, but it is very thought-provoking even if I don't fully understand what happened/how it fit into the rest of the book.

Highly recommend this one.

HUNCHBACK by Saou Ichikawa paints a gruesome yet deeply human portrait of a disabled woman’s experience in ableist Tokyo. Shaka inherits an enviable bank account and spends her time collecting esoterica. But what she’s the most curious about lives in the recesses of her Twitter feed: prostitution, pregnancy, and abortion - all things that, seemingly, Shaka is incapable of experiencing, until a caretaker in her group home considers her call for a sperm donor. Clearly this is a novel that’s never been done before, and that’s mostly what I liked about it. However, the caliber of the first half (writing & plot) felt stronger than the latter half. It does offer a unique window into disability in Japanese society, though.

very strange and provocative lil book! a bit touching and thought-provoking, good insight into a life & set of circumstances that I know little about, from a unique perspective that kept me engaged. wasn't a fav, but enjoyed it enough!

thanks hogarth and netgalley for the advanced copy <3

I can imagine this book will create something of a stir, with its raunchy and shocking content, written from the point of view of a disabled woman.
As fiction, it’s very short, very explicit, sui generis and pretty provocative. There’s humor here, and an element of frankness, but it’s scarcely an enjoyable read. An eye- opener, in several senses.

Hunchback is a very peculiar read that I think some readers might find jarring. Through the main character's thoughts, we learn about her life as a student, her side hustle writing smut, and her "darker", possibly unconventional sexual fantasies. Despite being a short read, this book dives into topics of disability, society's perception / norms, desires, and the often lack of visibility / accommodations for persons with disabilities. Not sure if this book was for me but it was still interesting to read.

I have had this book on my radar for some time, and I was thrilled when I saw it pop up on NetGalley. Hogarth is one of my favorite imprints of all time, and I consistently find great reads from them - this is no exception!

It's not often that a narrative about disability, autonomy, and value society places on those with severe physical disabilities is called provocative. Perhaps because there is no better author than one who suffers from the same disorder themselves. Autofiction is a niche category, but you can FEEL it when you read it. It brings a level of sincerity that other fiction just can't quite grasp. I am in awe of the authors ability to illustrate the juxtaposition between her physical barriers and her vibrant inner world. This book opens a long-overdue conversation to talk about the way society is so eager to desexualize those with physical barriers, even when their mind is as sharp as anyone else's.

While some may find this book disjointed, or rambling, I think the stream-of-consciousness type of writing style is intentional. Her body may have limitations, but she's a gold-medal Olympian when it comes to creativity and storytelling. I really enjoyed this book and its willingness to press against the boundaries of our pre-conceived notions about disability and agency.

Such tangible descriptions, a window into an experience of life I am not familiar with. Both riveting and heartbreaking, I couldn’t put this book down and wished for more.

This was a great short story. It was about a person with a disability or a “not-normal” situation going through life and seeing all the societal expectations and judge mental people along the way. It makes you think a lot and opened my eyes to things I didn’t think about prior

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

"Hunchback" by Saou Ichikawa says so much more than I am able to articulate in its 112 pages. This semi-autobiographical novella is a brutal and beautiful confrontation of ableism asking the ageless question of what it means to be. This is a difficult book to read, but it's an extremely important one.

Ichikawa's writing is moving and poignant; full of language both lyrical and clinical. It was an honor to be brought into Ichikawa's world for a brief moment, and I feel this text will stay with me for a long time.

The ending, as often discussed with this title, is a bit confusing - as the whole novella is very clear as to what is happening up until that point. But I'd like to think of the ending as open to interpretation, and my interpretation of the ending is one of a sad hope.

Overall, I'm very thankful for this piece and am excited to purchase it upon release.

Thank you endlessly to NetGalley who gifted me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hunchback was a mixed bag for me. I was intrigued by the premise of a hunchbacked protagonist navigating a world filled with prejudice and societal expectations. The author's exploration of themes like isolation, resilience, and the search for acceptance was thought-provoking.

However, the narrative felt a bit slow-paced and repetitive at times. While I appreciated the author's attempt to delve into the protagonist's inner world, the lack of external action and plot development made it difficult to stay fully engaged. The ending, while somewhat poignant, left me wanting more closure and resolution.

Overall, Hunchback is a quiet and introspective novel that explores the complexities of the human experience. If you're looking for a fast-paced or action-packed story, this might not be the book for you. However, if you appreciate character-driven narratives and subtle explorations of social themes, you might find something to appreciate in this book.