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hannaheinhorn'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
2.75
there is also the fact that nothing happened in the book until the last 20% of it. i could have just read THAT part and been satisfied. literally the several page fucking soliloquy after THAT part was so useless.
Graphic: Rape, Vomit, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Incest, and Kidnapping
Minor: Racism, Ableism, Blood, Sexual harassment, Classism, Gun violence, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
brinnavirginia'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
1.0
I'm down with an unlikable protagonist, but Eileen was not interesting enough to warrant her detestable character (and intense, over-the-top, makes-me-think-it-might-be-the-author fatphobia). I enjoyed the womanly yuckiness at first until it was just soooo much puke.
This book could have been, like, a hundred fewer pages. I had to read the Wikipedia plot summary to convince myself to just finish reading it (pulled through for book club <3). In the end, it wasn't worth the effort.
Graphic: Vomit, Misogyny, Incest, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Torture, Death of parent, Child abuse, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Excrement, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Classism, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Police brutality, Blood, and Chronic illness
leelu55'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
3.25
However, the ending disappoints, presenting a tragic and hopeless fate, and the most horrible crimes imaginable are exploited for Eileen's personal development in an unbearably nonchalant and casual manner. I found the conclusion truly annoying, with the profane way the events were wrapped up, the plot falling apart, and all the characters being cast aside after their stories were used to create the necessary effects.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Vomit, Torture, Self harm, Body shaming, Child abuse, Police brutality, Car accident, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Suicidal thoughts
kmcgraw'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
4.25
Graphic: Gun violence, Incest, Murder, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Excrement, Suicide, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Fatphobia, and Eating disorder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Abortion, and Police brutality
zoecitterman's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Alcohol, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Confinement, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual violence, Stalking, Police brutality, Sexual content, and Torture
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
elizlizabeth's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Murder, Child abuse, and Eating disorder
Minor: Terminal illness, Police brutality, Homophobia, and Gun violence
karenvol6'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
3.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Incest, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Rape
Moderate: Addiction, Murder, Police brutality, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Fatphobia and Homophobia
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