Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Mon année de repos et de détente by Ottessa Moshfegh

72 reviews

andreaestefania's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

3.25

It’s an often triggering and offensive, cruel take on something sadly even more relevant in today’s world. It often felt relatable in ways that had me feeling better then worse about myself in a span of minutes. It was definitely a cynical, darkly humorous way of getting the main point across. I enjoyed the way the deeply corrupted relationships between the main characters were portrayed as they reflect just how toxic they truly are from multiple angles. There’s not really a side you’re meant to root for, especially not the side of our protagonist despite her “best” efforts. Female friendship is portrayed in its darkest form and yet tenderness still seeped through at times. The ways in which the characters were unapologetically awful felt very lifelike and of the time which I was both awed and disgusted by.

I do wish there had been more expansion on the main character’s breakthrough after her last infermiterol pill… instead it comes across as a miracle that happens to her overnight. Like an out of character change of heart - especially with Reva. Even though we can clearly infer it’s not as simple as a miraculous change of heart - more on this would’ve tied it all together for me. It’s also insane that it took those events happening in the end for her to feel like life was worth living and meant to be lived fully but i guess that’s the irony and cruelty in all of it. It’s meant to highlight just how insane and important the mundane is. How even those that you resent are an important part of your experience and are often just reflecting you back to you. Despite the mostly vain, cynical, and horrifically careless narration by the protagonist, I felt oddly comforted by the set intention to make the reader feel almost embarrassed by their own similar thoughts and ways of living that led them to believe it was okay to “sleep” through their own life in a way. Almost like it’s mocking the reader for the very desire to lead a life just like hers. It reminds you that there’s a lot more to life and not at the same time. It forces you to realize there might be more credit owed to your own heart and moral compass - considering the main character sets the bar incredibly low and even she is allowed a second chance at feeling alive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Cancer, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Chronic illness, Racism, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Violence, Body shaming, Animal cruelty, Self harm, Sexual content, Addiction, Death of parent, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

redefiningrachel's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Cancer, Confinement, Addiction, Alcohol, and Death

Moderate: Body horror, Sexual assault, Abortion, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Self harm

Minor: Blood, Rape, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

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

thebookpaiges's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Addiction, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, and Death of parent

Moderate: Abortion

Minor: Murder, Medical trauma, Ableism, and Medical content

(Uses ableist language)

reneeandreea's review against another edition

dark 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

2.75

Honestly, I don’t get the hype. The best parts were the

“Infermiterol” experiment and the visit to Reva’s family home.

This was fully sitting at 3 stars until the very end. I think Moshfegh ruined it all in the last page. Nothing negative to be said for the quality of writing. This was just boring.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Addiction, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug use, and Mental illness

Moderate: Cancer, Vomit, Blood, Death of parent, Infidelity, Death, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Excrement, Chronic illness, and Suicide

Minor: Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Abortion

chloesummerhill's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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

Moderate: Vomit, Death of parent, Drug use, Cursing, Grief, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, and Self harm

cady_sass's review against another edition

challenging dark funny hopeful reflective 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

5.0

I understand that loving this book is a huge red flag. What can I say, unhinged, mentally unwell women resonate. Depressed woman hates everyone, doesn’t want to leave her apartment, and tries to medicate herself into sleeping as much as she can for a year? Wait, was this book written about me? Just kidding. Kinda. 
This is definitely, without a doubt, a love it or hate it moment. I can’t imagine feeling indifferent towards this.

The only thing that I do hate is the cover. It’s horrible, and for no reason because the main character is blonde. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Cancer, Dysphoria, Excrement, Grief, Pregnancy, Suicide, Body shaming, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Self harm

lilacfoxes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.75

There’s literally no way to describe this book to anyone wanting to read it. It’s not light, the main character is certainly not lovable but you’ll lap up every page.

Fight Club for the girlies. Sylvia Plath you would have loved this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Drug use, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Vomit, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Body shaming, Animal death, Cancer, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Excrement, Abortion, and Chronic illness

sakisreads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.5

✨ Thrifted ✨

This book requires quite a few trigger warnings, which I’ll put as content warnings.

I don’t really know how to feel about this book. I was recommended it by someone years ago, but never got around to it until now.

The unnamed main character has a LOT of trauma and is clearly unforgiving of that (and of others around her as a result). Her frenemy Reva is also going through a lot and comes to the main character for some kind of solace, although she never seems to find it. 

The language is incredibly descriptive so I could imagine EVERYTHING that was going on, which I appreciated most of the time (except for when it was triggering) 🥺

I really burst out laughing when the artist Ping Xi appeared with his ‘splattered paintings, à la Jackson Pollock, made from his own ejaculate’ 😂

I’m not sure I would recommend this, but maybe once I know what the deeper meaning of it is I can appreciate it more and come back to review it in a different light ✨

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Chronic illness, Animal cruelty, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Medical content, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Mental illness

dannilmp's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

2.0

This is not a book to read if you don't want to ruin your mood or would like to keep a happy disposition toward life itself. My year of rest and relaxation is certainly one of the more stranger books I have read this year. A story about a young woman wishing to go into hibernation in an attempt to rewire her brain about her views towards herself and life itself. 

Despite not liking any of the characters and the lack of character development throughout the book, I must say I felt compelled to keep reading. I wanted to see if this year of rest and relaxation would accomlish what our MC thought it would and deep down I wanted it to work for her. But I also appreciate that the idea was careless, not well thought through at all and certainly isn't something I would ever recommend anyone to try or even attempt anything remotely similar. 

The only reason I gave this book two stars is due to the fact the ending and the build up to the ending have stuck in my head and I have been tossing and turning ideas relating to them in my mind for days. This book may have been one of my least liked reads of this year however I must applaud the author's capability to get me thinking long after I have put the book down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Mental illness

Moderate: Vomit, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Abortion, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Addiction