Scan barcode
reneeandreea's review against another edition
- 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
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
jo_lzr's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Mental illness, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Excrement
Minor: Abortion and Racism
lunaisreading's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Blood, Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Vomit
taylorroseship's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Drug use, Abortion, Addiction, Body shaming, Cancer, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Cursing, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Grief, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Blood, Confinement, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
bloohoney's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Then we have Reva, that you also can feel relatable to, once again, for me, and you get hurt by her story and hate how badly the main character speaks of her
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and War
samarakroeger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This book was such a slog to get through, especially the middle. It truly put me to sleep better than any of the myriad of sleeping pills featured in (and weirdly endorsed by) this book and put me in a reading slump.
I got the sense that Ottessa Moshfegh was trying to make this book as provocative as possible (which it definitely was, I just don't really vibe with that approach). The casual racism, ableism, sexism, and homophobia served no purpose except to solidify my intense dislike for both Moshfegh and our vile, unfeeling narrator. I've never read a book before where I hated every single character with every fiber of my being. Reva did deserve a better friend despite her personal flaws.
This was so incredibly privileged and pretentious and filled with so many triggers for mental illness I have no idea why people liked this book. I was even more disappointed in this book due to all the positive hype I'd seen about it, so I'd definitely recommend reading the trigger warnings and thinking about why you want to read this absurd, pointless book before you pick it up.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Moderate: Ableism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Blood, Cancer, Excrement, Homophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Terminal illness
Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy
burnyayhayley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A consistent piece of feedback I am seeing in reviews of this book is about how the middle of it dragged, and I totally agree. Though it is easily arguable— given the focus of this book— that a human attempting to hibernate would eventually become a bit of a repetitive and tedious narrative to recount. It was bound to drag a little; what do you say about someone sleeping all the time?
Another thing I have seen in reviews is a statement that the ending is too rushed, but I beg to differ. The ending is differently paced, yes, and faster than the middle, for sure, but this reminded me of the feeling of waking up from a nap and there is still a whole afternoon and evening ahead of you and you kind of feel like everything is moving too fast. That head-rush of the waking world I think was mirrored in this last bit of the book, and to great effect. It fits, for me, that after this long spent drugging herself and sleeping on a couch (or wherever she was), everything would seem fast and bright and weird.
Ok but also how did I only just realize that the protagonist doesn't have a name? That is usually something I would notice—makes it all the more unsettling, as it easily pulls the reader into her position.
Anyway, this book is darkly funny but also mildly upsetting, so please check the content warnings before venturing in.
Graphic: Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Blood, Abortion, War, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual content, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Misogyny, Mental illness, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder
shreyshrey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Mental illness, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Moderate: Abortion
bibilde's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and Violence