Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

667 reviews

doublemegative's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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morregano's review against another edition

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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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kristenjk22's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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jwagstrom's review against another edition

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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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_corrin's review against another edition

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challenging funny reflective slow-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

3.5


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blunderw0man's review against another edition

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challenging dark inspiring reflective sad slow-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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jbbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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

2.5

Tragic, absurd and very sad, often felt revolted by the depravity of the lives depicted, yet also aware that there were deep seated reasons for the behaviour. If it is funny, it’s very warped. 

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odairsjlaw's review against another edition

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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

1.0


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potatereader's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.0


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sunn_bleach's review against another edition

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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

3.5

I see why some of my friends hate this book. Everyone is an asshole, and it's hard to read about an incredibly privileged woman in NYC living out her rebirth and actually getting it through... sleeping a lot. It's a goddamn tough sell.

I interpreted this as "American Psycho" for the new millennium, taking aim at the empty promises of everything being perfect through a character who's over it all. The parents' stories were cliche, but I know people who have lived very similar lives to these (sleeping notwithstanding), from the Long Island girl who wants to prove it to the ex-beauty mom who's fully aware of her vacuity. The ending is not a surprise; if anything, its inevitability is part of the subversion to the titular year of rest and relaxation.

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