Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

125 reviews

miathy's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

2.25

This book has amazing writing, and I often found myself having to put the book down and return to it later because of the gruesome horrors imprinted through the language. 
Horror isn't a genre I typically read, but Moshfegh's beautiful style of writing is one that I definitely enjoyed. 

However, I found myself losing interest in the second half of the book. It felt as though the development and journey of the characters fell short through their abrupt deaths.

In the end, I really was expecting more, and it felt a more forced read in the end for me.
This ultimately comes down to reading practices and the atmosphere one is looking for when they're going in for a read. I wasn't reading this to analyse or really to engage my brain at all, and saw it as more of an avenue for entertainment, and this felt like a missed opportunity. 

This book is so character focused, and the result is an array of equally complex and compelling characters, each with their own backstory and ability to alter the course of the plot. 
I think this is where I lost the direction of the story, because so much of it extends to the village of Lapovna as a whole. As the story progressed, more and more characters were introduced, developed and explained, but I wasn't able to find a connecting link outside the physical acquaintances and relationships between the characters. 

I think I definitely have to revisit this book in another time, but it seems that horror is just not something I can handle. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Murder, and Physical abuse

laurenleannereads's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Animal cruelty, Abortion, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Cannibalism, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Animal death

cwbillings's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I forced myself to read this in a day and I’m so glad I did. I truly love it. It’s exceptional. But this story is not one you can carry in your mind for long. It’s heavy. It’s demented. And the allegorical messages are superbly written. I’d recommend reading this if you’ve got a strong stomach.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Violence, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Murder, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Gore, Sexism, and Sexual content

liv_1810's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book was a whole rollercoaster, and there were times I had to put it down to digest what I’d just read. But I loved how provocative it was and how it really made me sit and think deeply about what I was reading. The morally grey (if not completely immoral) characters were written so well and so deeply that it was hauntingly perfect. Definitely not for the faint-hearted but beautifully done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Rape, Gore, Death of parent, Blood, Murder, Cannibalism, and Death

Moderate: Incest, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

amelieedenn's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.5

reading this was kind of like witnessing a car crash - awful but I also couldn’t look away

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Self harm, Excrement, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Blood, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Death of parent, Child death, Murder, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Cannibalism

laideyofthelake's review

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Visceral and grotesque, this book is a poignant and largely grim reflection on power, belief, and the dark sides of love. I particularly loved the allegorical/satirical tone and magic realism elements within a medievalist setting. More contemporary fiction using medieval aesthetics please!! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

tiaroseshang's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Animal death, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Abortion, Cannibalism, Confinement, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual content, Murder, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Violence

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Classism, Vomit, Blood, and Kidnapping

botulinum's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• 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

1.25

Disgusting. If I had a gun to my head and told to recommend this, I’d say pull the trigger. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Death, Incest, Murder, Sexism, Pregnancy, Rape, Blood, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Torture, and Violence

toujours753's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Chronic illness, Violence, Abandonment, Body shaming, Torture, Vomit, Gaslighting, Excrement, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Rape, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Infertility, Incest, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Stalking

makayla_m812's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Violence, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Animal death, Infertility, Death of parent, Gore, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Self harm, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Alcohol, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicide