Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

55 reviews

ana_h's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Alcoholism, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

Moderate: Death of parent

olive_lol's review against another edition

dark 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

2.5

This novel's setting over the Christmas season creates a uniquely lonely atmosphere. Each scene is packed with description of often mundane things, which, for me, at least, got old after about a hundred pages. Some topics, like alcoholism and child abuse, are explored deeply through multiple characters who experience them.

This novel obviously makes you uncomfortable and grossed out on purpose, but I honestly don't think the story benefits much from that. Most of the sensetive or gross topics feel like they were only included for shock and contributed little to any wider commentary. However, some topics are very well-explored, just not most of those included. That said, make sure you check the content warnings for this book.

Nothing much in the plot happens until about the last third; most of the book leading up to that point is a mix of anecdotes, atmosphere, and gross-out description. For most of the first third, I was really considering picking up another book instead because so little was happening or felt significant. It did create a nice payoff when, in the last third, things started happening, but that didn't outweigh the slowness of the beginning and middle for me.

This book really wasn't for me. It had some merits, like strong descriptions and atmosphere. However, I couldn't look past the overly slow pacing and the overuse of some sensetive topics seemingly for shock.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Murder, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Incest, Gun violence, Pedophilia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Stalking, Vomit, Body shaming, Sexual content, Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Racial slurs, Classism, Cursing, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Homophobia, and Animal death

carlytenille's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Incest, Vomit, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Death of parent, Pedophilia, and Toxic friendship

randisworld's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a very dark story of a young woman with a difficult life. It covers lots of gritty topics but is written very well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Rape, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Murder

Moderate: Gun violence, Vomit, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

hlb2023's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-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: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Dysphoria, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Self harm, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pedophilia, Fatphobia, Grief, Incest, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Misogyny, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Mental illness, Child abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Gun violence, and Homophobia

hick's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

ak97x's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Incest, and Addiction

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Dysphoria, and Fatphobia

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Stalking, Sexual content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ripxw's review against another edition

dark 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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Rape

Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Pedophilia, and Alcoholism

zara89's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Vomit, Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Incest, Domestic abuse, Confinement, and Child abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

elizabethng2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• 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

there are no wolves, only mice 

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Content Warnings

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