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mreisen's review
- 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
Graphic: Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Physical abuse, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Body horror, Body shaming, Addiction, Alcoholism, Vomit, Torture, Terminal illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Incest, Homophobia, Gun violence, Grief, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Dementia, Death, Confinement, Chronic illness, Child abuse, and Car accident
vbarsi's review
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Fatphobia, Torture, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Stalking, and Rape
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
augusta_'s review
- 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
3.25
I liked it better than My Year of Rest and Relaxation—one of her other books I read previously, which, the more I think about the less I like.
The thing is, Eileen still has some of the same problems that disenchanted me with that book. I really don’t love the reused themes of eating disorders, the fantasies of sexual assault, the ultra descriptive paragraphs about laxatives and shitting, with seemingly nothing insightful or redeeming attached to them. Maybe it’s going over my head, maybe i’m not reading deep enough, maybe i’m being too demure. But I don’t think i am. It feels like Ottessa uses these themes for shock and and unconventionality—especially in the form of her narrators—rather than having perceivable psychological significance.
There are a couple moments in the book that escape this and do have a commentary that is more significant, but most of the time that doesn’t feel like the case.
I will say that the pace of this was a lot faster than R&R, and I very much appreciated that. But by the same token I also feel like nothing really happened? It’s fast paced and feels like it’s leading up to this huge thing…but once we get there it feels like about 3 pages of action. Given all the prior building up and alluding to of this “life changing event”, things really fell a little flat once you arrive there. I feel like I was much more intrigued by the lead up, than the actual “climactic” event.
The end falls into the same problem I had with My Year of Rest & Relaxation. We have a character who’s suddenly turned around their once cynical view on life, and yet it doesn’t seem earned—or even really plausible, to me. It feels rushed and neatly tied off, in a way that doesn’t align with the rest of the book.
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Gore, Rape, and Incest
Moderate: Eating disorder, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Police brutality, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Excrement, and Death
Minor: Gun violence, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Stalking
hick's review
- 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: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Moderate: Incest, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Confinement, Mental illness, Cursing, Dysphoria, Stalking, Body shaming, Excrement, Misogyny, and Vomit
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Grief, Classism, Animal death, Abandonment, Police brutality, and Blood
meakey's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Incest, Mental illness, Addiction, Blood, Ableism, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Torture, Vomit, Death, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Classism, Sexual violence, and Alcohol
teigancollins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Incest, Pedophilia, Vomit, Addiction, Rape, Torture, and Violence
elizabethng2's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Sexual harassment, Racism, Eating disorder, Torture, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Murder, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Blood, Emotional abuse, Death, Vomit, Incest, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, and Stalking
tacochelle's review
- 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
This is primarily a character study of a young woman in 50s Massachusetts, who works as a secretary at a youth correctional facility. While there is some commentary on the state of these places, how the young men are treated, that statement is almost heightened by the fact that as the narrator, Eileen doesn't linger on it. She simply doesn't care about them, and that's kinda the point. Eileen is passionate, lonely, pathetic, and disgusting. She is both self-loathing and self-centered. The way she describes herself in extreme detail, hyper-focused on every bodily function, whether anyone else notices her in that way- it's very gross, but somewhat relatable? Like I get it, as someone who spent a long time feeling absolutely digusted with my physical existence, those parts got to me. Eileen also latches on to the tiniest bit of affection shown to her, which leads to an obsession with her new coworker and getting caught up in a crime. Eileen doesn't do any of this because she gives a shit. She is just chasing that high of feeling loved.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Incest, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Murder, and Rape
Minor: Confinement, Vomit, Child abuse, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, and Car accident
illgiveyouahint'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
I'm sorry, but I just didn't vibe with the book. I see so many people praising it but to me it was a book where it took forever for something to start happening. The first half of the book was just so boring to me with burst of disgust whenever bowel movements were mentioned. Seriously I started to really detest the word bowels.
I recognise that this book is just not for me and if I was not given it by my friend I would never have read it. But hey maybe a film adaptation with foxy Anne Hathaway will change my mind, who knows.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Murder, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, Confinement, Eating disorder, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, and Vomit
Moderate: Fatphobia, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Death, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Terminal illness, Violence, Body shaming, Death of parent, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Rape
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Torture
lilacwhisker's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Addiction, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Stalking, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Animal death, Gun violence, Blood, Death, and Terminal illness
Minor: Incest and Abortion