Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Mi año de descanso y relajación by Ottessa Moshfegh

1432 reviews

morregano's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

2.75

I don't know that the author needed to add as much drug use and detail about it as they did. I think it fell flat at the end of the day because it became redundant.

of course we all saw the end coming but i didn't care as much because i didn't feel for the main character or value their friendship much at all.

also. This book seems like a self lobotomy, as if we didn't learn that sedating people with mental illness doesn't actually switch psychosis off. I don't like the message of this book, and i don't find it sardonic

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Self harm, Body shaming, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Grief

Minor: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Dysphoria, Chronic illness, Suicide, Violence, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Cursing

livetgjennomb_ker's review against another edition

Listen. This book has zero likeable characters and that’s very much intentional. 
It’s repetitive and drug heavy, seeing as the main character lies to a (TERRIBLE) therapist to get sleeping pills so she can quite literally sleep for an entire year.. 
Every choice is intentional in the writing, so is me putting this book down. This holds nothing compelling to keep me reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Drug abuse

Moderate: Cancer

grimintuition's review against another edition

dark funny reflective relaxing fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use

Moderate: Fatphobia

umm_igor's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

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

curlykira'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I’ve just finished this book and I’m sitting here trying to establish how I feel about it. It could be a 4* book but I’m just not sure… if I could give it a 3.95 that would probably be my ideal rating.

So much of the book is about the main character taking medication and sleeping or complaining that she wishes that she is asleep that is does become a bit monotonous.

It was also hard to keep going in places because the main characters are all deeply flawed and not very likeable, but that’s by the author’s design and it serves a purpose. However in other places this book is cutting and raw and shows a side to mental health that those unfamiliar with it might be unaware of- it’s not all manic depression and anguish, often it is just feeling numb and tired. This book pushes that point constantly. Overall, it was an interesting read that will probably stay with me for its premise and it was well written, I just don’t think it is necessarily a book to enjoy- more one to challenge and subvert preconceived notions you might have about what a woman with mental illness might look like. Lots of people seem to count this as a vacation read but despite the title, I do not think this is a book for one’s own rest and relaxation.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Suicide

jwagstrom's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-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? Yes

4.5

Despite none of the characters being likable, I still enjoyed the process of reading this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Moderate: Vomit and Racism

Minor: Abortion

nooodledooodle's review against another edition

reflective medium-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

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Addiction, Eating disorder, and Cancer

Moderate: Classism, Alcoholism, Drug use, Animal death, and Drug abuse

Minor: Abortion

lauralintunen's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse

Minor: Antisemitism

icefairy's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

this was a really interesting read, there were so many clues I could pick up about her psyche and why she was the way she was. her life is honestly so tragic having grown up with a psychotic mother and no love but she never fully realised that that's why the way she is, idolising whoopi goldberg and her crazy psych, she's a bitch and an awful person but she didn't deserve that childhood

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Death of parent, Addiction, Eating disorder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, and Drug use

geraldinerowe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This is the second of Ottessa Moshfegh's books that I've read and, like Lapvona, I loved it but couldn't tell you why. The blurb says that it's about alienation, but I interpreted it as the main character dealing with a severe case of depression which leads her to feel alienated and makes her behave so appallingly, especially towards her only friend who continues to try to help her no matter how she's treated. I don't think the ending is supposed to come as a surprise, but it was certainly more effective than I was expecting and it brought a tear to my eye. Moshfegh's writing immerses me in her storytelling (not that there's much plot here to speak of) and I think that's her secret. In fact, I've put holds on two more of her books at the library.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Mental illness, and Addiction

Minor: Abortion