Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

6 reviews

acstar's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Torture, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Rape, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Medical content, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt

zenizage'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Having literally read this within two days and just finished it (immediate thoughts before having let it simmer): My main problem with this book was that I had heard it was funny and it said it was funny on the back (or someone was quoted saying it was funny) and as I was reading, it kept creeping into my head why the hell people thought this was funny. 
I found the depiction of the main protagonist's depression and the people (ab)using her razor sharp at times. Maybe it was borderline triggering for me. But that being said: it captures depression and the feeling of having no self-worth (and not even having the will to fight for it) quite well!

I am not American and the extreme use of medication was ... maybe even most frustrating to me. Maybe I didn't get the "joke" because I did not know anything about the drugs she was using? 

Is it a good thing that her plan appears to work in the end? That she "slept" her way out of it? I don't know.

Maybe the point of the book for me is to take a closer look at myself, because I at times found it hard to have compassion for the main protagonist, who was clearly suffering, but instead was frustrated with her and her numbness and her having given herself up and how she treats other people. For someone who has had to deal with depression herself that is almost shocking. 

I did also not at all notice that the main character is in fact unnamed, I read it somewhere after I finished it. I find that astonishing. It did not bother me whatsoever that she didn't have a name, I didn't even know.

...
Edit: After Giving it some thought–is the protagonist something of a modern day Daisy Buchanan?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexism, Body shaming, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Classism, Medical content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Excrement, Cancer, Suicide, and Vomit

Minor: Abortion

_bailey_reads_'s review against another edition

dark reflective 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

2.75

The writing style was good. The actual plot of the book was interesting from the stand point of observing what not to do regarding mental health. 

However this book is not in any way a good book to read for life advice or for finding a good way to cope with depression. Think of this book and everything the MC does as everything not to do. The MC is deeply troubled and in need of actual help from an actual professional which she does not get. I was very concerned with the ending of the book because it is not at all accurate to the realities of mental health and life itself. She doesn’t actually deal with anything she struggles with, she just avoids it… which is not possible in reality. 

PSA to everyone reading this: medication is not a problem solver and will not fix you. You cannot run away from your problems, that includes sleeping. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Cancer, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts

cosy_crow's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Cultural appropriation, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Racism, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Alcohol, Ableism, Eating disorder, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Alcoholism, Cancer, Bullying, Suicide, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Body shaming, Body horror, Abandonment, Rape, Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Addiction

utuisuus'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

3.75

honestly what

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Racism, Antisemitism, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Drug abuse, and Mental illness

Minor: Ableism, Pregnancy, Suicide, and Abortion

nayelirna's review against another edition

dark funny 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Sexual violence