Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh

30 reviews

alexandrabelze's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

3.0

okay. when i first finished this book, i didn’t really care for it. i didn’t not like it, but i initially found it a little boring. i’ve had time to let it marinate, and i am finally aware of just how crazy this novel is. the whole thing is just this poor old lady (vesta) driving herself absolutely mad. 85% of this novel takes place inside of vesta’s head. most of the things that “happen” in this book don’t even happen! she’s just making shit up!!! and the ending. wtf?! great use of an unreliable narrator.

ngl the ending had me giggling. it also COMPLETELY caught me off guard. and wtf was up with charlie at the end?? i wish we got some sort of explanation on that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death

Moderate: Murder and Cancer

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Alcohol, and Animal death

britts_booknook's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Animal death, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, and Fatphobia

linci's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I'm very fond of Ottessa Moshfeg's writing. So far I've read 2 of her books and enjoyed both. 
Since the first page I have been transported into a small village of Levant. The atmosphere that Moshfeg creates is ethereal. The cabin, the woods, the community. Before starting the book I didn't know much about the plot, so I was pleasantly surprised by the passages about the relationship between the dog and it's owner. One of my favorite themes throughout the book was the reminiscence of her life with her late partner. The ways in she felt like she could finally be herself only after her husband's death was devastating. The belittlement she felt from Walter all of her life was so scary to think about when you take into consideration that the protagonist is 72 and the majority of her life she had spent with the wrong person. There is a paragraph about how she had to forget about her roots to live a comfortable life with him and I cannot stop thinking about how many people settle for something only because it's comfortable. The main plot driven by a note found on page 1, still remains unanswered because of Moshfeg's exceptional way of writing unreliable narrators and leaves much to the readers to figure out themselves. 
Personally, I feel like this book would make a great movie because of how atmospheric it is and because of the way it feels like at least a week had passed when in fact, the whole plot happens in a matter of days. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Fatphobia

charvermont's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

Disturbing, an unlikeable protagonist but it is interesting to see her slowly unraveling. Wished the mystery was more than just in her head but great writing nonetheless. 

Unnecessary fatphobic commentary (which is apparently Moshfegh’s thing across all her novels) 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body shaming, and Fatphobia

angel_kiiss's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Moshfegh has a real problem with fatphobia and her problem with fat people. This book (of what I’ve read) is by far her most interesting but you just can’t read anything without being hit over the head with how much she doesn’t like fat people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Fatphobia, and Animal death

sylviaplathsbitch's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Death, Animal death, and Blood

Moderate: Cancer

linguaphile412's review

dark mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Fatphobia, Animal cruelty, Vomit, Animal death, and Excrement

Moderate: Death, Cancer, Sexual violence, and Violence

oliviah1111's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

4.0

this book is very very slow paced. from what i understand, it was only over the span of 2-3 days. i enjoyed it either way, but there are some weird elements i didnt like.

there was random hints of fatphobia, and what kind of felt like fetishization of foreign women. this may be because of the narrator being an older woman, but it seemed to be the writers opinion sneaking through especially with the weird comments about fat people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Xenophobia, Cancer, Fatphobia, Animal death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Body shaming, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Abortion, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Alcohol

parsnipsnap's review

dark mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia

Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Excrement, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Animal cruelty

natalia_booksss's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Animal death, Blood, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Infidelity, Excrement, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Murder, Grief, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, and Cancer