Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

32 reviews

oddreads_nicolestins's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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

3.5

So much of this book was about making us understand how "perverse" or "deviant" Eileen was in her mid-20s. I couldn't really enjoy this book because everything was framed so negatively except her "love interests" and quick statements about her experience as an aged woman. Eileen was basically angry, depressed, and emotionally stunted so badly that she made bad decisions. That's usually how it goes, and there are so many stories like this- I can't  say how this is more "playful, shocking, or witty" (NYT review blurb 😂) than similar stories.

As for the writing style, it was okay. There were no major flaws that put me off. It just wasn't as good as I thought it would be- and of course the constant references to weight or food were very annoying. I had heard that her books were fatphobic and after reading just this book I can see that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Vomit, Body shaming, and Misogyny

Minor: Gaslighting, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Grief, Homophobia, and Classism

edamamebean's review

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Incest, Blood, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Body horror, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Rape, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Excrement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Drug use, Death of parent, Cursing, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Torture, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Stalking, and Blood

nabila99's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body shaming, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Blood, Death, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Bullying, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Murder, Rape, Sexual harassment, Chronic illness, Stalking, Violence, and Vomit

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Addiction, Drug use, Police brutality, Classism, and Confinement

readingwithrickwood's review

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Death, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Gore, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Rape

calima's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• 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

Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence

hanreadin's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Incest, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, and Violence

inglebelle's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, Murder, Incest, Homophobia, Gun violence, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, and Abandonment

lindseyhall44's review

dark slow-paced

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

4.25

“Eileen” is a character driven novel which follows our protagonist  as  she narrates her final and climatic days living in the gloomy small town of “xville.” I had read Ottessa Moshfeg’s most popular work “my year of rest and relaxation” prior to this, and knew  immediately that “Eileen” had to be my next read. Surprisingly enough I think I liked this book better… Moshfeg does a great job intertwining the narration of a 24 year old with narration of her older self, less naive and able to come to terms with the struggles she so desperately wanted to escape from. Eileen’s actions really exemplify  that the coming of age process doesn’t stop at 18, and through adversity and experience do we find growth. won’t say any more about the plot, since it’s best to go in blind, but I will say that Moshfeg reminds me very much of Salley Rooney. While Rooney focuses on the relationships of her characters as opposed to Moshfeg exploring the darkness of her charterers, both really convey the complexity of each individual. It was interesting to see how the characters were written as unlikeable and sometimes unreliable, but facets of themselves created redeemable features in the readers eyes. This book is not a light read, and not for everyone, so I advise searching up trigger warnings before you pick it up . But if you like darker literary fiction with foreshadowing and phenomenal character development, “Eileen”might be for you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Confinement, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, and Stalking

nialiversuch's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Vomit, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Rape, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, and Xenophobia

dbuoih's review

dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Moshfegh at it again with her filth; in the form of a bisexual woman from the 60s raised by her narcissistic alcoholic father. Good. Would own it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Vomit, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Death of parent

Moderate: Pedophilia, Incest, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder

Minor: Abortion