Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Mi año de descanso y relajación by Ottessa Moshfegh

76 reviews

50nifty's review against another edition

Slow and pointless, characters are some of the most unlikeable I've ever come across in fiction. Would like to try again eventually 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

julialobo's review against another edition

dark reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"We don't forget things, OK? We just choose to ignore
them. Can you accept responsibility for your memory lapse
and move on?"
“Yes”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder

Moderate: Death of parent, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

kt2e56's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Ugh. First of all, it’s not hard to “get” what’s happening with this book. Just like American Psycho, which this book reminded me of quite a bit, My Year of Rest & Relaxation is unbelievably shallow. So me not liking it doesn’t mean it went over my head. I just didn’t like the book.

I know the author has been on a crusade about how it’s sexist to not like a book with unlikable female characters but it’s not that I don’t like books about unlikable women, I like well-written books about unlikable women. The nameless main character is boring. She just is. She’s racist and nasty and cruel but above all, just so fucking boring. And the author is boring. We get it: somehow despite not showering for weeks, having crusted up eyes, toothpaste all over her face, and god knows what else…everyone is bending over backwards to let the main character know that she’s still just so beautiful and perfect and nobody could ever be thinner or prettier. My god. Find something less cliche.

What was I’m assuming supposed to be some big shocking reveal at the end about Reva dying in 9/11, I literally predicted when I was 22% of the way into the book. So not really that shocking. Just another cliched attempt at controversy.

I did give this one whole extra star for the spot on critiques about the art world. I thought that was genuinely funny and satirical. Ditto for the author’s description of Long Island (I live one town over from Farmingdale in Massapequa. Lol.) which I found pretty funny. Otherwise? Meh. I don’t take Infermiterol but I’m sure I’ll forget this book in three days.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Self harm, Mental illness, Grief, Body shaming, Body horror, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, and Excrement

catrionamayj's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Grief, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Drug use, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Excrement, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Vomit, Abortion, and Eating disorder

pineapplesunshine's review against another edition

dark funny sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Death, Death of parent, War, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Eating disorder, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Classism, Cancer, Body shaming, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Abandonment

Moderate: Ableism

paulea's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I liked this book a lot. It's a quick but intense read. The ending really safes this book from being incredibly depressing. Reading I felt similarly tense and down like I did reading the bell jar. Looking into someones problems this deeply and descriptive feels really intense and also at times triggering. I did not expect this book to end the way it did, but I really, really liked it. To me, the realisation, that the narrator is in charge of their own life and nothing is "set out for them " is kind of sweet and - compared to the rest of the protagonists's way of thinking - life-affirming. 
Also: i really enjoyed the way of writing and I will definitely read more Odessa Moshfegh. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Vomit

livedf's review against another edition

challenging dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse

Minor: Sexual violence

sianjkh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

one of the most uniquely written books i've read and one that would've sent me spiralling had i been in a slightly worse mental state. slow paced, almost too slow, yet one of the most poignant and honest tellings of mental health struggles i have come across. its refusal to shy away from less romantic topics make it so harrowingly real there were points i had to just put down the book and stare off into space for a moment. that being said, doesn't make it a great book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Drug use

Moderate: Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Abortion

jillianalice's review against another edition

dark funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was surprised at how much I genuinely loved this book. I already want to re-read it. I can see the criticisms that we’re made about this book, but personally, the book was very relatable for me. The book gave a real look at types of depression and how different people cope with their grief. I also love books that describe every day, mundane things in an interesting manner, and the prose of this book does it very well. The psychiatrist was hilarious, I don’t think I’ve run across such a perfectly scattered and absurd character before. The ending was also interesting and unexpectedly tied historical events into the final chapter. I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone because it can definitely be triggering and the characters may be annoying to many people, but I love this book and will be re-reading it.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Classism, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Animal death, Fatphobia, and Chronic illness

aliciachauhan_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Classism, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Incest, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Chronic illness