Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Mijn jaar van rust en kalmte by Ottessa Moshfegh

25 reviews

itszosia's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Ableism, Racism, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Chronic illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Mental illness, Homophobia, Death of parent, Classism, Body shaming, Alcohol, Bullying, Xenophobia, Death, and Toxic friendship

annablume's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.0

weird book, highly unlikeable protagonist, definitly intended to be read as a commentary on privilege as well as depression, lovelessness, tastefullness idk
i enjoyed this
reminded me of bad news and never mind by edward st. aubyn (i read them at 16, so they're not super fresh in my memory)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Vomit, Xenophobia, Eating disorder, Grief, Death, Confinement, Addiction, Body shaming, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexism, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Classism, and Pregnancy

eib_21's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Xenophobia, and Death of parent

clairemarie00's review against another edition

dark reflective tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Cancer, Body shaming, Addiction, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Mental illness, and Drug use

marjoleinvanderspoel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

When I started this book, I was sure I hated it. It gave me such sex and the city and internalised misogyny vibes, and i really wasnt in the mood for it. So i put it down, and picked it up again a few weeks later. I was hooked. Sure, the main character is elitist and horrible, but she's also so relatable. I wish I could also go to sleep for a year and wake up with a new zest for life. I know this isn't supposed to be ~goals~ but it literally is. What does that say about our horrible, capitalist,  "meritocratic" society?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, and Sexual content

Moderate: Misogyny, Vomit, and Xenophobia

Minor: Excrement and Animal cruelty

bookishlittleme's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

4.0

I found the writing extremely fluid much like a thought process which is exactly what it is coming from the unnamed character serving as the narrator. The narrator is extremely unlikeable but incredibly human; she has a bunch of trauma

(the death of her father from cancer, her relationship with her mother who committed suicide, as well as a destructive on and off relationship with her ex boyfriend, and more)

from her past, this doesn't make me want to like her or excuse any of her behaviour and the way she treats and manipulates the people in her life. She is also extremely self aware making her even more unlikable. This novel explores privilege especially with our narrator was not the rich, conventionally attractive, blonde, young woman without many responsibilities her year of hibernation

(which in the end works out for her and she ends up having a renaissance of feelings about life)

wouldn't have happened and the alternative would be very different. I would say it's worth a read if it's been on your list but definitely check your content warnings. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Suicide, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Excrement, Abortion, Xenophobia, and Ableism

_renee_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense 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

5.0

None of the characters in this book are supposed to be loved. This book is a hyperbolic satire on Americas self proclaimed high society. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Racism, Self harm, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Abortion, Abandonment, Addiction, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Excrement, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Xenophobia

suchsweetsorrow89's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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? It's complicated

4.0

i had been putting off reading this book for a few months now because i heard lots of mixed reviews— mainly that it’s a book white women love and people of color do not love so much. however the waifspo lana del rey coquettes broke me— i could no longer repress my inner desires to read the book so i caved.  

the book follows an unnamed narrator in her journey to “rebirth” herself. she does this by turning to cosmetic psychopharmacology with the help of a pretty sus psychiatrist. in this book, we only ever see her focus on three people: dr tuttle, trevor, and reva. there are others in the story who become more prominent, but the majority of the novel revolves around those three. all in all, i have a love hate relationship with the book— but i certainly liked it more than not. the message of the book isn’t clouded in a sea of metaphors (good thing!) and it’s funny at some moments, disturbing at others. the amount of times the narrator speaks on being skinny i could see as triggering for some, and the casual racism and stereotyping was 1000% not needed to show that the characters are bad people (it’s always unnecessary, i promise you). is it revolutionary? no. is it interesting? yeah, if you can get through it. will i read it again? most likely no. i hate to compare books, but is this book the “modern The Bell Jar”? not at all. so….yeah 4/5. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Mental illness

Moderate: Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Racism and Xenophobia

jneverreads's review against another edition

dark sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Cancer

lauren176's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Suicide, Mental illness, War, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racial slurs, Addiction, and Eating disorder