Hunchback

Quotes

“[Ichikawa] highlight[s] how people with disabilities face isolation and are invisible in society, a theme she took up in her prizewinning novel, Hunchback.”—The New York Times

“A brilliant, riveting book that lets us tune into voices we have long kept suppressed.”—The Sunday Times (UK)

“[A] gloriously transgressive debut.”—The Guardian

“Audacious, insightful, bold, and—with its critique of ableism—necessary . . . an absolutely stunning debut . . . Some readers might be shocked by this brave novel; others might find themselves interrogating their own ableism.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Impossible to forget.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Insightful, bold, and provocative . . . Ichikawa’s excellent work is wholly relatable for anyone who has ever felt out of place in society and longed to fit in.”—Library Journal, starred review

“A masterpiece . . . Ichikawa asks us to see disability with more equitable eyes.”—Booklist

“A funny and feminist story of a woman seeking autonomy, meaning and respect.”—Ms.

“[A] must-read debut.”—BBC

“An important [and] brave book.”—World Literature Today

“Ichikawa lets Shaka be three-dimensional, pushing back against any stereotypes of disabled people. . . . [Readers] are rewarded with a captivating character, witty prose, and a unique way of looking at disability.”—The Clarion-Ledger

“Hilarious and possesses a mordant wit and perverse imagination . . . Filled with strikingly vivid details of embodied self-care, Ichikawa defies expectations of pity and sentimentality in this dark satire about the erotic power of imagination.”—Electric Literature

“Told from the perspective of a disabled woman who asserts her sexual autonomy unapologetically, Hunchback is a personal exploration of pleasure and an indictment of the ableism and sexism embedded in society. Hunchback might be considered radical by nondisabled readers because it honestly depicts the innermost thoughts and desires of a disabled woman, which speaks to the lack of disability representation in publishing. . . . Insightful, humorous, and honest.”—Alice Wong, disability activist and author of Year of the Tiger

“A deadpan account of living in a body at war with itself . . . uproariously funny, unflinching, and merciless.”—Mariana Enriquez, author of Our Share of Night

“Defiant, subversive, sexy, dark, and full of originality.”—Seán Hewitt, author of Open, Heaven

“Propulsive, sexy, and distilled, Hunchback is the novel on disability and desire I’ve been waiting for.”—Daisy Lafarge, author of Paul

“This genre-defying novel plunges us into a world that is so surreal and bizarre and captivating. Filled with dark humor and existential dread, this is a wild ride that teeters on the memorable edge of the absurd.”—Weike Wang, author of Joan Is Okay

“A forceful and original novel which will leave no reader unchanged.”—Nicola Dinan, author of Bellies