Fiction

Satellite Love

Satellite Love

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-06-01 11:51:12
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Genki Ferguson
  • ISBN：0771049870
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Summary

Set in 1999 Japan， Satellite Love is a heartbreaking and beautifully unconventional debut novel about a girl， a boy， and a satellite--and a bittersweet meditation on loneliness， alienation， and what it means to be human。

On the eve of the new millennium， in a city in southern Japan that progress has forgotten， sixteen-year-old Anna Obata looks to the stars for solace。 An outcast at school， and left to fend for herself and care for her increasingly senile grandfather at home， Anna copes with her loneliness by searching the night sky for answers。 But everything changes the evening the Low Earth Orbit satellite （LEO for short） returns her gaze and sees her as no one else has before。
After Leo is called down to Earth， he embarks on an extraordinary journey to understand his own humanity as well as the fragile mind of the young woman who called him into being。 As Anna withdraws further into her own mysterious plans， he will be forced to question the limits of his devotion and the lengths he will go to protect her。
Full of surprising imaginative leaps and yet grounded by a profound understanding of the human heart， Satellite Love is a brilliant and deeply moving meditation on loneliness， faith， and the yearning for meaning and connection。 It is an unforgettable story about the indomitable power of the imagination and the mind's ability to heal itself， no matter the cost， no matter the odds。

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Reviews

Katie ，

This imaginative and deeply sadly novel is a layered and bittersweet read， perfect for when you want to feel connected in loneliness。 This is definitely a book for people who want to be taken on a strange journey， and not for those who want an easy takeaway。

Fahmida jahan anika ，

a book i want to go back to again 。 ana and leo ， two well thought and executed characters and have fell in love with the style of the writing ！ i hope the author writes more in future！

Aparajita Batabyal ，

"Being alone was unbearable， yet companionship only brought more suffering" - Satellite "Being alone was unbearable， yet companionship only brought more suffering" - Satellite 。。。more

Kristy ，

3。5

Carol Stevenson ，

I was very engaged for the first third of the book， but then it started to drag for me。 I am not a big fan of fantasy so I suppose I was looking for some bigger revelation。

Jamie Snail ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Beautiful but sad。 This is a story about a girl's struggles to navigate life， her way of compensating loneliness with vivid imagination that only a child could be capable of， and the power of faith/belief that drives people to incredible （and destructive） feats。 It's a book that celebrates individuality and being brave even when it feels like the whole world doesn't acknowledge you。 Beautiful but sad。 This is a story about a girl's struggles to navigate life， her way of compensating loneliness with vivid imagination that only a child could be capable of， and the power of faith/belief that drives people to incredible （and destructive） feats。 It's a book that celebrates individuality and being brave even when it feels like the whole world doesn't acknowledge you。 。。。more

Becca ，

I was kind of in between 3。5 and 4 but this is definitely an interesting read！ I think that the writing is so so so beautiful， but the story does get a tiny bit slow in the middle。 I think it’s a story that I’d had to reread。

Arvind Naladiga Venkat ，

Simple story。 Brilliantly written。

Alex ，

3。5 rounded up！ A beautiful and melancholic first novel。 This kind of slow-burn story isn't my favourite， but I appreciated the strangeness of this book and the ending as well！ 3。5 rounded up！ A beautiful and melancholic first novel。 This kind of slow-burn story isn't my favourite， but I appreciated the strangeness of this book and the ending as well！ 。。。more

Jude Stone ，

This book had an interesting premise and story！ By the end though， it felt like Ferguson tried to go too many places when it would've been better to stick with one and develop it more。 This book had an interesting premise and story！ By the end though， it felt like Ferguson tried to go too many places when it would've been better to stick with one and develop it more。 。。。more

Jo Owens ，

Of course I was going to read 'Satellite Love'。 Of course I wanted to know what the next generation of that freakishly talented Ferguson family was going to create。 Also， I very much wanted to know if this novel， written by someone with roots in both Canada and Japan， would have that irresistible， addictive umami flavour that I experience as both weirdly off kilter and simultaneously oddly familiar in Japanese writers from Junichiro Tanazaki to Banana Yoshimoto， Minae Mizumura to Mieko Kawakami。 Of course I was going to read 'Satellite Love'。 Of course I wanted to know what the next generation of that freakishly talented Ferguson family was going to create。 Also， I very much wanted to know if this novel， written by someone with roots in both Canada and Japan， would have that irresistible， addictive umami flavour that I experience as both weirdly off kilter and simultaneously oddly familiar in Japanese writers from Junichiro Tanazaki to Banana Yoshimoto， Minae Mizumura to Mieko Kawakami。tThe answer is "Yes！ Yippee！"tFor this reason， as sixty year old prairie-born white woman whose feelings of jangling difference have long been soothed because of the equally quirky people who surround me， I can still appreciate a novel about a dangerously alienated teenager （Anna） in Japan。 I loved the beautifully realized characters。 I loved the interplay between memory and imagination， contrasted by Anna's friend， The General， Anna's grandfather and her first imaginary friend， The Prince。 The fantastical manifestations of Anna's delusions were masterfully done， especially as balanced by her school-mate Soki's exploration of his father's （rejected） Shinto faith。tAnd the writing was exquisite。tYes， I really loved this book。 New favorite author！t 。。。more

Vivianne TM ，

This was too weird for me。 I like quirky Japanese stories but I couldn't connect with the characters or plot of this one。 I really disliked the main character and the other narrative voices just bored me， which made this a challenge to get through。 It wasn't for me。 This was too weird for me。 I like quirky Japanese stories but I couldn't connect with the characters or plot of this one。 I really disliked the main character and the other narrative voices just bored me， which made this a challenge to get through。 It wasn't for me。 。。。more

Dar ，

Anna， Soki， The Satellite， The General and Grandfather are so strange， naïve and wistful that you almost believe the author is too - which is a grand illusion for him to have built。 The story line is concrete and ethereal at the same time， with a message about the power and the limits of belief。

Anne ，

At first， I didn’t know what to make of this strangely imaginative story。 But the more I read， the more entranced I became。 There is much here about the Japanese culture， the Japanese gods， faith versus religion， and a young teenager’s fragile mind。 I was gently pulled into the story and found myself continuing to read to find out what would happen to Anna。 There are some sentences and paragraphs that are wisely poetic， or poetically wise… I can’t decide which！ I have a feeling that this novel w At first， I didn’t know what to make of this strangely imaginative story。 But the more I read， the more entranced I became。 There is much here about the Japanese culture， the Japanese gods， faith versus religion， and a young teenager’s fragile mind。 I was gently pulled into the story and found myself continuing to read to find out what would happen to Anna。 There are some sentences and paragraphs that are wisely poetic， or poetically wise… I can’t decide which！ I have a feeling that this novel will remain in my thoughts and my heart for a long time to come。 。。。more

Manny ，

Before I get into the review， let's talk about how beautiful this cover is。 I saw Satellite Love on Goodreads's new releases page， fell in love with the cover， and within the week， picked it up at a bookstore。 I had absolutely no idea what the book was about， but the cover art was too good not to experience it。 😂Satellite Love is a novel about a young girl's descent into loneliness and how she deals with isolation from her peers， family， and friends。 When I first started the book， I thought it w Before I get into the review， let's talk about how beautiful this cover is。 I saw Satellite Love on Goodreads's new releases page， fell in love with the cover， and within the week， picked it up at a bookstore。 I had absolutely no idea what the book was about， but the cover art was too good not to experience it。 😂Satellite Love is a novel about a young girl's descent into loneliness and how she deals with isolation from her peers， family， and friends。 When I first started the book， I thought it was just about some angsty teen who had an "it's not a phase， mom！" type of attitude。 However， the further I read， the more meaningful the story became， and some aspects were quite moving。 I find that I liked it even more because， on some levels， I relate to the main character Anna。 Unlike Anna， however， I recognize when I am potentially leading myself down a self-destructive path。 Even so， this novel serves as a good reminder of what can happen if you don't stop yourself from going in that direction and encourages one to seek out the light at the end of the tunnel。 If I had one criticism， it would be that there are some lulls in the book where I wasn't as engaged。 However， sections like that only lasted for a handful of pages， and then the story would go back to reeling me in。 Additionally， this is a character-driven story and not so much a plot-driven story。 So if you are not a fan of that， this may not be the novel for you。 Overall， I'm impressed by the story and even more so that it is a debut novel。 I am definitely going to be checking out any future works this author puts out。 Satellite Love gets 4 out of 5 stars from me！ 💜 。。。more

Anna ，

Hmmm。 There will be spoilers in this review， so don't keep reading if you don't want to see。A mix of Indelicacy by Amina Cain and perhaps L'Etranger。 The cover copy here was interesting。 I picked it up because of the beauty of its cover illustration， and because of this: "a brilliant and deeply moving meditation on loneliness， faith， and the yearning for meaning and connection。 It is an unforgettable story about the indomitable power of the imagination and the mind's ability to heal itself， no m Hmmm。 There will be spoilers in this review， so don't keep reading if you don't want to see。A mix of Indelicacy by Amina Cain and perhaps L'Etranger。 The cover copy here was interesting。 I picked it up because of the beauty of its cover illustration， and because of this: "a brilliant and deeply moving meditation on loneliness， faith， and the yearning for meaning and connection。 It is an unforgettable story about the indomitable power of the imagination and the mind's ability to heal itself， no matter the cost， no matter the odds。"This is perhaps one of those examples where the cover copy is wrong （Small Game Hunting also comes to mind）。 I felt very little healing here - the whole book was an exercise in foreboding， foreshadowing， and anxiety （"If I had done this， maybe I could have saved Anna" / "If she had gotten off the train earlier， the whole series of events wouldn't have been set into motion" etc。）。 I disliked Anna as a main character （ironic， ha！） - I know the pain of being bullied relentlessly in school。 But some of the acts Anna committed （sending obsessive love letters to a teacher， pouring gasoline all over a schoolmate's car and scribbling in lipstick on the windshield， attacking a blind and deaf elderly man in order to steal books from him） were distressing， and the lack of comprehension from her about the reactions that came from her actions， about her responsibility， made them all even more so。 Anna sees herself only as a victim。 She is in fact a victim: Her mother is absent， her grandfather on the edge of dementia， her schoolmates bullies。 But she sees nothing bad within herself， when it's clear that she starts out the novel as kind of a cruel， detached， violent person， and ends it in the throes of what appears to be a severe mental-health episode。Finally， the attention she craves is only from men。 Soki， The Prince， The General， Leo， her father， the unfortunate teacher - they all become targets for her in different ways。 She speaks so often of the hollow in her heart: ironically， that hollow is the one that can only be filled by fierce female love。 。。。more

Troy ，

This was a really great and moving debut novel。The story is set in 1999 Japan and follows a teen girl who struggles with identity and isolation and being bullied。 She survives by having imaginary friends， and this is where the book gets weird and interesting。 She calls down a Low Earth Orbit satellite to be another one of her imaginary friends （Leo）。 This friend has his own POV though。 Is he really imaginary？ Perhaps he is kami。The writing is very beautiful and almost poetic in places。 The novel This was a really great and moving debut novel。The story is set in 1999 Japan and follows a teen girl who struggles with identity and isolation and being bullied。 She survives by having imaginary friends， and this is where the book gets weird and interesting。 She calls down a Low Earth Orbit satellite to be another one of her imaginary friends （Leo）。 This friend has his own POV though。 Is he really imaginary？ Perhaps he is kami。The writing is very beautiful and almost poetic in places。 The novel is chock full of excellent quotes。There was so much to like about this book。 If you want something that's a little different， I can certainly recommend checking it out。 。。。more

Leah ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 说实话有点不知道听了什么，一个孤独女孩和一个假想？还是真实的卫星朋友

Penny （Literary Hoarders） ，

This was beautiful， sad， strange and it was so very fitting to see that Ruth Ozeki， author of A Tale for the Time Being blurb this book。 It had similarities， but at the same time， Satellite Love is unique and wonderful。 I think I've read my first Giller Longlist nominee？ If not， I'll eat my hat in anger and frustration。 This was beautiful， sad， strange and it was so very fitting to see that Ruth Ozeki， author of A Tale for the Time Being blurb this book。 It had similarities， but at the same time， Satellite Love is unique and wonderful。 I think I've read my first Giller Longlist nominee？ If not， I'll eat my hat in anger and frustration。 。。。more

Poinsettia ，

3。5 stars。 （I usually give 4 stars to my favourite reads and rarely give 5 stars） I feel like Satellite Love might appeal to readers who enjoyed Bone Gap。 I was very excited about this book！ The Y2k era is nostalgic for me; a world on the brink of a new age， a new technological era， a time where the internet and social media had not yet taken over。 Anna， a lonely sixteen-year-old girl in Japan， is going through her own painful transformation as 1999 moves into 2000。 Satellite Love is and is not 3。5 stars。 （I usually give 4 stars to my favourite reads and rarely give 5 stars） I feel like Satellite Love might appeal to readers who enjoyed Bone Gap。 I was very excited about this book！ The Y2k era is nostalgic for me; a world on the brink of a new age， a new technological era， a time where the internet and social media had not yet taken over。 Anna， a lonely sixteen-year-old girl in Japan， is going through her own painful transformation as 1999 moves into 2000。 Satellite Love is and is not what I expected it to be。 I was hoping for a magic realist love story between Anna and LEO， but the "love story" is not a love story in the romantic sense; it is an unbalanced creator-creation relationship， and the book is much more about Anna's internal struggles， which stem from failing to form meaningful connections with the outside world。 Satellite Love is an introspective， character-driven narrative with themes of isolation， sadness， and regrets。 I especially love how the city Anna lives in， Sakita， （a fictional city。。。？） is a character and， like every other character in the book， it's a reflection of Anna。 She is the sun around which everything orbits， for better or worse。Anna is a complicated， unstable， unlikeable， pitiable character， who I could relate to in the sense that I too went through a period of my life where I isolated myself from my school peers and delved into my own inner world。 Anna's （view spoiler）[deterioration and aggression （hide spoiler）]took me by surprise as much as it took LEO by surprise。 I love how LEO evolved from a satellite to a human character through physical and mental changes。 I was not overly interested in Soki--I would have preferred chapters told from the perspectives of The Prince or The General--but I would have liked it if he had more direct interactions with Anna。 I found myself wishing for more interactions between all the characters in general--it would have helped me feel more attached to the characters and the story--but I suppose that was the point; this book is about loneliness and disconnect。 The magic realism really picked up in the last quarter of the book， to the point where it's difficult to know what is real and what is imagined。 Loved that。 I liked the segments about The Prince， and how his life tied into Anna and LEO's （view spoiler）[ BUT THAT FRUIT GROSSED ME OUT SO MUCH UGHHH MY SKIN IS STILL CRAWLING！！ （hide spoiler）] I suppose my biggest complaints are: the lack of character interactions， the amount of showing vs telling， and the overlap （the same moments told from different characters' perspectives）， but I know the latter two points are difficult to avoid when writing back and forth in first person。 Although I understood the characters and found them intriguing， I wasn't deeply emotionally invested， and I found my attention wandering at times。 I liked the bittersweet ending， and it left me with many unanswered questions about the unwritten story that happens after the book ends。All in all， if you are looking for a slow-burn， character-driven， introspective story rooted in magic realism with space as a motif， then I would consider checking this out。 。。。more

April ，

Wow。 I loved this book。 Genki writes a unique story about loneliness， imagination， and the human condition。 He managed to make it feel both uplifting and tragic， and I enjoyed holding these gentle contradictions within me as I read。

Amy ，

A teenage Japanese girl becomes emotionally attached to a satellite in the sky。 A mixed read for me; I alternated between thinking this was refreshingly unique and just plain weird。 I don’t think I really got this book at all。

Dani ，

3。75 stars rounded up because RESPECT for this being Genki Ferguson's first novel**This book brought a lot of heaviness inside me to the surface， for all the girls who feel weird， unable to fit in， rejected， isolated， and hopelessly lonely because of it。 Oh， my heart ached for Anna's pain。 To feel that alone and isolated from the people around her， to being so hungry for connection outside her own little world。 Ahh， I can relate in my own ways。 It's not a stretch to see how those feelings can le 3。75 stars rounded up because RESPECT for this being Genki Ferguson's first novel**This book brought a lot of heaviness inside me to the surface， for all the girls who feel weird， unable to fit in， rejected， isolated， and hopelessly lonely because of it。 Oh， my heart ached for Anna's pain。 To feel that alone and isolated from the people around her， to being so hungry for connection outside her own little world。 Ahh， I can relate in my own ways。 It's not a stretch to see how those feelings can lead someone to do the desperate， bizarre， and even violent things Anna did。 I enjoyed this book。 Genki Ferguson writes with a soothing cadence that made it a good reading experience。 And what a unique story to tell！ I liked the blend of folklore， imagination， and reality。 I do think it was a lovely story， well written。 Maybe I'm greedy， but I wanted more。 More closure？ A better look into how it would turn out for Anna？ More about Leo's fate？ The end was sad， sweet， and somewhat hopeful though。 Overall a very interesting experience。 。。。more

Christiano ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Gonna be honest I have no idea what the book is about。 Something about mental health stigma？ Perhaps about religion？ No clue， but still an enjoyable read。 Once I figured out Anna was schizophrenic， it became less of a love story and more of a tragedy。 It was a good ending with soki as well。 I'd say I like it。I thought Anna's desire to go to space was symbolic of her suicidal thoughts。 If the author intended that， then that is pretty genius。3。5/5 Gonna be honest I have no idea what the book is about。 Something about mental health stigma？ Perhaps about religion？ No clue， but still an enjoyable read。 Once I figured out Anna was schizophrenic， it became less of a love story and more of a tragedy。 It was a good ending with soki as well。 I'd say I like it。I thought Anna's desire to go to space was symbolic of her suicidal thoughts。 If the author intended that， then that is pretty genius。3。5/5 。。。more

Laura ，

3。5 stars。 This quirky story is bittersweet。 I empathized with Anna， though her actions at times were odd and sometimes even hurtful。

Isa ，

This was so lovely and tragic。----Isa SIn Sakita， a small city left behind by the modern world， we meet Anna Ogata， a lonely sixteen-year-old who mostly lives in her own head。 Outcast from her peers and loved ones， Anna finds a far more exciting existence in her imagination， where the friends she creates help her make sense of the world around her。 Orbiting Anna is LEO， a satellite whose meditations on humanity add an interesting layer to the book's themes of loneliness as he yearns to join the This was so lovely and tragic。----Isa SIn Sakita， a small city left behind by the modern world， we meet Anna Ogata， a lonely sixteen-year-old who mostly lives in her own head。 Outcast from her peers and loved ones， Anna finds a far more exciting existence in her imagination， where the friends she creates help her make sense of the world around her。 Orbiting Anna is LEO， a satellite whose meditations on humanity add an interesting layer to the book's themes of loneliness as he yearns to join the people he watches from above。 In Satellite Love， Genki Ferguson shares with us a tender tragedy that highlights the values of connection and being present while asking what it means to truly exist and be real。 。。。more

Nicole ，

This was a beautiful， sweet and strange audiobook。 I enjoyed every second of it。 It makes you feel a lot of things。

Rona Karen ，

At first I really like it。 The setting， the characters， the dialogues， everything was interesting。 But then I found myself waiting for something to happen。 I already got to 50% of the story and I was still waiting for that arc in the story。 Something that would keep me glued to reading the next pages。 But nothing came。I loved Anna in the first parts of the story but eventually she got annoying。 I wonder if she had a mental health issue or if she’s just a problematic teenager going through the co At first I really like it。 The setting， the characters， the dialogues， everything was interesting。 But then I found myself waiting for something to happen。 I already got to 50% of the story and I was still waiting for that arc in the story。 Something that would keep me glued to reading the next pages。 But nothing came。I loved Anna in the first parts of the story but eventually she got annoying。 I wonder if she had a mental health issue or if she’s just a problematic teenager going through the confusing teenage phase。 It was never cleared。I thought and actually hoped that the imaginary friends were symptoms of multiple personality disorder but the possibility of it was not offered。 I thought it would have been interesting if Ana suffered from that illness， maybe the story would have more depth to it。 But in the end， the Prince and Leo turned out to be just imaginary friends and nothing more so I thought that was really childish。 I wish Ana had a multiple personality disorder and the General turned out to be the imaginary friend and when she physically attacked the General， she actually hurt herself。 Those are the thoughts that entered my mind when I read those scenes with the imaginary friends and the General。Maybe if I read it in my teenage years， I would appreciate it more。 I gave it 3 stars because at some parts it felt dragging to continue and I did not feel any sort of attachment to any of the characters。 Nevertheless I can see a promise in this writer and no doubt I will try reading his future works。 。。。more

Enid Wray ，

My initial reaction to this book was that it was just exquisite。 There is no doubt that the writing is lyrical… poetic… calming… soothing。 But the more I read the more it all began to unravel for me。 I really struggled with the whole imaginary friend bit - especially one such as Leo is。 I also struggled to relate to - to feel invested - in the characters themselves… most particularly Anna。 I just didn’t connect。。。I appreciate that Leo’s existence is meant to allow for engagement in a deep， metap My initial reaction to this book was that it was just exquisite。 There is no doubt that the writing is lyrical… poetic… calming… soothing。 But the more I read the more it all began to unravel for me。 I really struggled with the whole imaginary friend bit - especially one such as Leo is。 I also struggled to relate to - to feel invested - in the characters themselves… most particularly Anna。 I just didn’t connect。。。I appreciate that Leo’s existence is meant to allow for engagement in a deep， metaphysical - existential - examination of one’s human-ness， of our connections to others… and that Siko is brought in as a character so as to allow for questions of faith - of belief in oneself - to enter into the consideration。 Then there are both Anna’s grandfather and The General… brought in to mirror Anna’s own struggle for clarity。But， for me， they felt like ruses - contrivances， plot devices - and it just got all too weird for my liking。 I guess I just prefer a novel more fully grounded in reality。 Regardless… I will certainly be watching for more to come from this first time author。 。。。more

Kay ，

This book was incredibly bittersweet yet simultaneously awe-instilling for me。 As I finished its final pages I was left haunted by Anna’s yearnings， along with questions that I’m sure Genki Ferguson purposefully left unanswered to the reader。 I didn’t even have any expectations going into this nor did I understand the synopsis fully—I was just especially pleased to support a local author。 I’m especially pleased now that I have a signed copy and bookmark！Satellite Love weaves together elements of This book was incredibly bittersweet yet simultaneously awe-instilling for me。 As I finished its final pages I was left haunted by Anna’s yearnings， along with questions that I’m sure Genki Ferguson purposefully left unanswered to the reader。 I didn’t even have any expectations going into this nor did I understand the synopsis fully—I was just especially pleased to support a local author。 I’m especially pleased now that I have a signed copy and bookmark！Satellite Love weaves together elements of loneliness， introspection， identity， and the longing to believe in a greater power。 Over time as I read this I became increasingly disturbed by Anna’s delusional state， and I think Ferguson did an incredible job at giving readers the ability to peer into her own mind & justifications， while seeing perspectives of how other characters view her （either through a lens of pity/intrigue， kindness/appreciation or love/concern）。 This was effectively disorienting for me， as the further I got into the book， I tried to determine for myself what was real and what wasn’t。 I appreciated the incorporation of Shintoism and religious undertones， which also added a mystical element， and further beauty to the novel。 Also， as someone who has Alzheimer’s run in my family， I was able to personally appreciate the grandfather’s segments showcasing his POV and confused thoughts。 The passages from the Satellite’s perspective were surprisingly introspective and beautifully well written—probably my favourite parts of the novel。 I found myself tabbing several pages with memorable quotes。 It has been a while since I have immersed myself in a story in such a way that I enjoy the process of reading it so much that I do not wish for it to end， and wish to bask in it。 I think the characters of Satellite Love will haunt me forever。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Satellite Love

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Satellite Love&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Satellite Love&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0