Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

내 휴식과 이완의 해 by Ottessa Moshfegh

827 reviews

pamshenanigans's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-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

2.5

A very palpable and distressing story about an unnamed protagonist who quite literally wants to sleep 24/7 for a whole year. While it may seem trite when summarized that way, actually reading it gives more context on why she was feeling this way. The book fives into her childhood experience and how she didn’t feel loved and nurtured by her parents and how this affected her future relationships with others and herself as she grows up. 

The writing was so descriptive yet written in a monotonic and stream-of-consciousness way that you’d also feel like you’re falling into a depressive hole as you read from the POV of the main character 

I didn’t particularly like being inside her head but I’m sure that’s how the author intended it, to evoke feelings from adults and young adults going through the same existential dread. 

One thing I liked about this book is that the main character recognizes the privilege she has to be able to rot in bed for a whole year without the consequence of having to hustle and pay the bills. 

Although an exploratory book about one’s existence (and the lack of drive to live), it didn’t really do much for me aside from the occasional reflection about my own life. 

Trigger warnings: depression, drug abuse, animal cruelty, abortion, sexual assault 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Mental illness

Moderate: Animal cruelty

Minor: Abortion and Sexual assault

potatereader's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Eating disorder, Drug use, Addiction, Cancer, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, Vomit, Mental illness, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Grief, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death of parent, Infidelity, Addiction, Cancer, Self harm, and Sexual assault

allisonobrien's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Death of parent, and Mental illness

acstar's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Torture, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Rape, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Medical content, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt

liz_rath's review against another edition

reflective 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

3.0

Could have been an e-mail.
If this had just been the last chapter I'd have given it a much higher rating, but the way it is I feel like it's just very deeply mid. Don't read this if you don't like unlikeable protagonists though or it will feel like torture.

Honestly the book seemed deeply confused about it's themes becauee unless the intended take away was "If you're unhappy with your life and suffer from depression Jus continue being a shitty person refusing to cope with your issues abouse a bunch of drugs and your attitude and life will magically fix themselves eventually" then it was lost. If that was supposed to be the take away then "Uh weird message bro, but sure". I liked the whole disaffected Millenial stick but it did not carry a whole book. At times it felt more like I was reading a character bible instead of a story. And with how it ends, her plan just working no real twists or curveballs, I was just left wondering what the point was.
Like I'm not one to demand a classic american story structure. You just had a cool quick idea and protagonist doesn't change substatially or learn anything by the end - fine by me. But we did not need so many words to tell this story (and I am using the term very liberally here) and the thing doesn't have that many words to begin with.

But whatever the prose was competent and it was a very quick read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Self harm, Mental illness, Drug use, Toxic friendship, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Gaslighting and Alcohol

Minor: Ableism

skoltoaletter's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide and Mental illness

itsmaren's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Abortion, Cancer, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders

lenacamci's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-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

3.5

First and foremost, this character is very unlikable - clearly on purpose. 
She also deals with depression and grief and pain that a life of privilege could not shield her from.

This book is so driven by its character and the way she perceives the world and copes with it and yet, she does not learn. She changes but she doesn't grow. 
It's very well written but it's not a pleasant read. It makes you reflect on how you can relate to her and yet leaves you frustrated by her decisions and just general unpleasantness. Which is fine, it's good to have bad, well written morally bad, insufferable but nuanced female characters. 

The ending was the bitter note for me, as Reva is yet another somewhat unlikable character but who at least somehow tries and loves as superficial as she could be. Struggling with mental health, I didn't expect this book who is already a dark take having such a bitter, "life is unfair", painfully real ending. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Addiction, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Cancer, Drug abuse, Suicide, Chronic illness, Confinement, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Drug use, and Mental illness

Minor: Pregnancy, Vomit, Alcoholism, and Abortion

whatsamanthadoes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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

4.0

I have lots of conflicting thoughts about this book. It somehow had me comparing my feelings after watching the movie Saltburn - I just saw an amazing spectacle, but I feel desolate and bereft and I want to continue to stay here and feel that.

But oh my, this girl perfected the act of girl rot. It as almost to the point where she didn't need to learn any lessons, she just transformed. This made cheering for someone when they refused to be an underdog in their own rock bottom difficult. 

This book shows a very real depiction of depression and how it affects those around you. There was also her opposite, Reva - whom she hated to love or loved to hate (hard to say). Reva seemed to deal with grief differently, but maybe just as problematically.

I wish I understood the historic event in the end. Why did the story lead Reva there?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Drug use, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Abortion, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

carleesue's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Mental illness

Moderate: Eating disorder