Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Mijn jaar van rust en kalmte

“I did crave attention, but I refused to humiliate myself by asking for it. I'd be punished if I showed signs of suffering, I knew. So I was good. I did all the right things. I rebelled in silent ways, with my thoughts.”

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ashley_turch's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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

3.5

Definitely a difficult read, kind of in a good way. Make sure you’re in a good mental state. Written from narrator’s POV, so there’s lots of internal reflection of what’s going on inside her head while in a extreme depressive state. I definitely see the benefit of this, but sometimes I just wanted to skip over it.

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lesbegays's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective

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

5.0

this is one of the most relatable and accurate depictions of depression that i’ve ever come across. depression is ugly and disgusting and makes you a shitty friend. the narrator is not a likable person, but i did find myself loving her because of how intimately i understand her and how much of the worst parts of myself i see in her. i found myself both jealous that she is rich enough to actually do what i’ve dreamt about since i was 12 and dedicate all of her time to sleeping, and so grateful that i’m no longer in a place where i want to sleep for a year. just maybe a month. i’ve had this on my shelf for years and i’m so glad i waited until now to read it. both the narrator and i are 26, and i think this would have made me spiral if i was 23.
the writing style of this book is so hypnotic. every time i emerged from a reading session i felt disoriented, like i was waking up from a too-long, sweaty afternoon nap. i felt a little bit how i imagine the narrator felt in her waking hours. a lot of people describe the pace of this book as slow, and i guess that’s fair, but i flew through this. the combination of short, clipped sentences and excessive run-on sentences just pulled me along for the ride.
if you’ve ever felt like sleeping for a year would fix you but are currently in a better, more healed place, i highly recommend this.

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