Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

39 reviews

amelianotthepilot's review

1.5

I dont understand the hype for this book. I feel like I remember people raving about this a few years ago but I truly found this whole book horribly depressing and meaningless. It gave Holden Caulfield vibes in the worst way. 

I guess you could say its a feminist book representing women in the worst way, women can be horrible too, women contain multitudes. I'm also pretty positive it doesn't pass the reverse Bechdel test (men are rarely mentioned and only in reference to sex). Which I guess is interesting... idk overall I thought it was terribly boring and depressing.

The main character is in her 20s, both her parents have passed away which she says she has come to terms with but clearly still deeply affects her. She has decided she wants to sleep her life away. She goes to a bad therapist complaining of sleep problems so she can get prescribed increasingly wild drugs. She then takes a cocktail of drugs in efforts to fully sleep through the rest of life to varying success. Her therapist is an extremely hippie unhinged bad therapist, her best friend is extremely vain and fake, her deceased mother was an alcoholic and uncaring. Overall every single character was unbearable and annoying and I don't feel like I particularly learned or gained anything from reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Confinement, Eating disorder, Abortion, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Vomit, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Addiction, Dysphoria, Grief, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship

paperknotbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

Deeply flawed human but such a well crafted voice. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Grief, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Vomit, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Abortion, and Forced institutionalization

aoifehasnogoodname's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Drug abuse, Addiction, Abortion, Dysphoria, Body shaming, and Eating disorder

eerikaanni's review against another edition

dark funny sad 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

4.0

I picked up this book expecting a somewhat lighthearted, character driven story with a mentally ill protagonist. What I got was a gorgeous satirical critique of white American capitalism that worked beautifully in showcasing the grotesque hypocrisy and blind privilege of rich white people in the U.S.

The main character is terrible. Her best friend is pathetic. Their dynamic is annoying at its best and completely destructive at its worst. There's little to no plot, and there's a 5-line long imagery collage of random things, names, places, activities, or thoughts like every other paragraph. That gets a bit exhausting to read at times.

But I think that's the point: materialism, the ownership and manifestation of things and more things is at the focal point of American capitalism. It is its driving force; the desire of more, until the Earth starts regurgitating everything we have consumed back up again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Eating disorder, and Cursing

Moderate: Vomit, Bullying, Body shaming, Cancer, Abortion, Dysphoria, Grief, Infidelity, Death of parent, Fatphobia, and Child abuse

tadiwa_e's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-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

5.0

In “My Year of Rest and Relaxation,” the MCs complex relationships, both with her best friend and toxic ex-boyfriend, create a captivating tapestry of human experience. As she seeks solace in sleep, the toxic dynamics with her ex-boyfriend expose the depths of her vulnerability and lack of self-esteem. Simultaneously, her friendship weaves through the narrative, providing moments of support and contrast to the darker aspects of her life. The author fearlessly explores the intricacies of human connections, making this a riveting journey through pleasure, pain, and self-discovery. 5 stars for its unflinching portrayal of relationships and the quest for healing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Grief, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Alcohol, Abortion, Addiction, and Emotional abuse

evelyns's review against another edition

dark 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Confinement, Alcohol, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Body shaming, and Addiction

matcharlyy's review against another edition

dark lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Suicide, Eating disorder, Medical content, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

Moderate: Dysphoria, Cancer, Blood, and Pregnancy

kikalox's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective tense fast-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Grief, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Self harm, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Medical content, and Mental illness

Minor: Abortion

kazli's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad 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

4.75

I never thought I'd find a someone who needs proper therapy more than me but I've been proven wrong. So much yet so little happened. It was a really accurate depiction of depression. As someone who's experienced almost exactly what the main character has, I can sympathise with her although she's not very likeable. The main star was definitely her best friend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Drug use, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, and Vomit

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

Minor: Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

amsswim's review

dark emotional funny 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

3.75

This was the first book of her that I have read, and I think this author probably one you just like or don't. I enjoyed this read but could see where people have issues with it.

If you're into reading about completely unhinged women doing unhinged and borderline horrifying things, do read. If you're worried definitely leaf through the trigger warnings to get an idea at least. 

I think I'll read from this author again, would recommend to some (definitely not everyone)!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Abortion, Child abuse, Animal death, Cursing, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, and Body shaming

Minor: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Excrement, Classism, Fatphobia, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Violence