Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

247 reviews

misterbugman's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Misogyny, Rape, Violence, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Torture, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Gore, Murder, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Incest, and Stalking

smurphy5337's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

2.5

Depravity and gore and destruction for no apparent narrative reason other than to simply be so extreme it is unsettling. Very difficult to read plot and content wise. Boo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Ableism, Abortion, Blood, Excrement, Gore, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Rape, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Incest

miathy's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

2.25

This book has amazing writing, and I often found myself having to put the book down and return to it later because of the gruesome horrors imprinted through the language. 
Horror isn't a genre I typically read, but Moshfegh's beautiful style of writing is one that I definitely enjoyed. 

However, I found myself losing interest in the second half of the book. It felt as though the development and journey of the characters fell short through their abrupt deaths.

In the end, I really was expecting more, and it felt a more forced read in the end for me.
This ultimately comes down to reading practices and the atmosphere one is looking for when they're going in for a read. I wasn't reading this to analyse or really to engage my brain at all, and saw it as more of an avenue for entertainment, and this felt like a missed opportunity. 

This book is so character focused, and the result is an array of equally complex and compelling characters, each with their own backstory and ability to alter the course of the plot. 
I think this is where I lost the direction of the story, because so much of it extends to the village of Lapovna as a whole. As the story progressed, more and more characters were introduced, developed and explained, but I wasn't able to find a connecting link outside the physical acquaintances and relationships between the characters. 

I think I definitely have to revisit this book in another time, but it seems that horror is just not something I can handle. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Murder, and Physical abuse

emmayoung95's review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Child abuse, Vomit, Self harm, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Incest, Physical abuse, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy

lizzyamurray's review against another edition

dark medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

Gross but hooked me from the start. Loved it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Vomit, Child death, Rape, Child abuse, Cannibalism, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Grief, Alcohol, Body horror, and Death

laurenleannereads's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Animal cruelty, Abortion, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Cannibalism, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Animal death

cwbillings's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.0

I forced myself to read this in a day and I’m so glad I did. I truly love it. It’s exceptional. But this story is not one you can carry in your mind for long. It’s heavy. It’s demented. And the allegorical messages are superbly written. I’d recommend reading this if you’ve got a strong stomach.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Violence, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Murder, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Gore, Sexism, and Sexual content

amelieedenn's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.5

reading this was kind of like witnessing a car crash - awful but I also couldn’t look away

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Self harm, Excrement, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Blood, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Death of parent, Child death, Murder, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Cannibalism

cheuksin's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Generally one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. I hated every single one the characters

(except lispeth, dibra Agata they were mostly innocent bc as far as I can remember)

. I was told it was weird but wow was I shocked at this true extent of how bizarre and uncomfortable it would be. One of the most in depth books when it comes to critiques of religion, patriarchy and capitalism and just overall so well thought out

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Child death, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Animal death, Gore, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Abortion, Ableism, Animal cruelty, and Incest

Minor: Excrement and Miscarriage

fionab_16's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism

Moderate: Pregnancy, Physical abuse, and Rape