Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Mijn jaar van rust en kalmte by Ottessa Moshfegh

1030 reviews

livwestland's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

I find it difficult to even translate my feelings about this book into words. I think I hated it, but I couldn’t stop reading it either? The blurb on the back cover isn’t really an accurate reflection in my opinion. Funny? Maybe, although the only thing I found particularly amusing was the narrator’s obsession with Whoopi Goldberg and the true nonsense offered by Dr. Tuttle. Tender, compassionate? No, I wouldn’t say so. The protagonist is truly unlikeable, which I don’t hate, but doesn’t lend itself to a “tender” or “compassionate” read. She doesn’t provoke any level of sympathy for me. 

The narrator is vapid, gross, entirely self-absorbed. Her best friend is actually quite sweet. It’s interesting to read from the unpleasant character’s perspective. There’s just no plot, only a premise. The ending was lacking anything spectacular, which I guess is fitting since nothing spectacular happens throughout. 

I enjoyed the author’s style of writing and prose. I just can’t really say how much I enjoyed the book overall? I’m really torn on this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Drug abuse, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Toxic friendship

menagerie_of'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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Alcohol and Abortion

effys's review against another edition

This book has definitely left me in need of something a bit lighthearted after that. 

This was a strange experience of a book, it definitely wasn't an enjoyable experience of a book but I liked reading it. The main character is hateable as all hell, she has one friend who is too nice for putting up with the MCs shit. 

My only real issue with the book was

it was so blatantly obvious that Reva was going to die in 9/11 i figured from the get go that 9/11 was going to be involved somehow because it's New York and it starts in 2000 but I feel like if we hadn't been told WHERE Reva was going to be working it could've been more impactful

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Eating disorder, Vomit, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Death of parent

Moderate: Body shaming

Minor: Abortion

bea_frankie's review against another edition

mysterious reflective 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

2.0

Honestly, this was one of those books people hype, and it is just simply not that girl. Nothing about this book lived up to my standards. I felt like I had been gaslit into thinking the premise was groundbreaking, and then the cold, harsh reality of the fact that a woman sleeping for a whole year straight is, in fact, boring. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Eating disorder

ashleyyyyreads7's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I was certainly enthralled, disturbed, captivated, worried, weirded out, but also very impressed. I get why it’s popular and I would recommend

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Grief, Mental illness, and Alcoholism

malin_banalin's review against another edition

• 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

Tycker den var riktigt bra, och ganska lätt att läsa (långa kapitel dock vilket inte är min favorit). Tror att jag kommer tänka på den ett tag. Det var speciellt att uppleva världen från ett berättarjag som inte bryr sig över huvudet taget produktivitet eller att vara trevlig. Den fick mig att känna mig som i ett dåsigt töcken när jag läste, konstig/off. För huvudpersoner är ju verkligen det. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Death of parent, and Cancer

Minor: Sexual harassment and Eating disorder

andrewwdavvid's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit and Drug use

eachz's review against another edition

dark emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I need to reflect on this more to give a proper review, but I really enjoyed it. This is my second Moshfegh novel and I'm once again struck by how she crafts these characters who you love and hate and root for and want to slap all at the same time. They're simultaneously realistic and ridiculous. I guess that speaks to the satirical nature of this story. Idk there was something profoundly relatable about the core of this story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, Body shaming, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Cancer, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Death of parent, Suicide, Fatphobia, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Infidelity, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Vomit, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Antisemitism and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

zaraha's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Self harm, Death, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Genocide, Abortion, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Rape, and Violence

emmapaigereads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness