Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

831 reviews

lauralintunen's review against another edition

dark funny medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, Cancer, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Vomit, Sexual content, Fatphobia, and Sexism

Minor: Antisemitism, Confinement, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Islamophobia, Suicide, Racism, Abortion, and Pregnancy

geraldinerowe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad medium-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

4.0

This is the second of Ottessa Moshfegh's books that I've read and, like Lapvona, I loved it but couldn't tell you why. The blurb says that it's about alienation, but I interpreted it as the main character dealing with a severe case of depression which leads her to feel alienated and makes her behave so appallingly, especially towards her only friend who continues to try to help her no matter how she's treated. I don't think the ending is supposed to come as a surprise, but it was certainly more effective than I was expecting and it brought a tear to my eye. Moshfegh's writing immerses me in her storytelling (not that there's much plot here to speak of) and I think that's her secret. In fact, I've put holds on two more of her books at the library.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Mental illness, and Addiction

Minor: Abortion

mariaisabelad's review

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Grief

okkaman's review against another edition

funny sad medium-paced

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

3.75

when will i have my year of rest and relaxation?? god. i hate the narrator so much. i hated the fact that i related to her too much and i hated it that she was so mean to her supposedly best friend (to which i don’t relate at all). she’s so in her own head that you get bored at one point. but you just wait for her year to get over, in the hope that she’ll have some kind of development or start to loving life, but no, it just gets worse. after her year of rest is over, she starts to see beauty in everything but still, she’s unbearable as she starts to think she’s better than everyone else. whatever, i loved it. i hated it. and i just want my year of rest and relaxation. ALSO, WHO GAVE DR. TUTTLE HER LICENSE???? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

jbbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-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

Tragic, absurd and very sad, often felt revolted by the depravity of the lives depicted, yet also aware that there were deep seated reasons for the behaviour. If it is funny, it’s very warped. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Toxic friendship

It’s been an experience!

pamshenanigans's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-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

A very palpable and distressing story about an unnamed protagonist who quite literally wants to sleep 24/7 for a whole year. While it may seem trite when summarized that way, actually reading it gives more context on why she was feeling this way. The book fives into her childhood experience and how she didn’t feel loved and nurtured by her parents and how this affected her future relationships with others and herself as she grows up. 

The writing was so descriptive yet written in a monotonic and stream-of-consciousness way that you’d also feel like you’re falling into a depressive hole as you read from the POV of the main character 

I didn’t particularly like being inside her head but I’m sure that’s how the author intended it, to evoke feelings from adults and young adults going through the same existential dread. 

One thing I liked about this book is that the main character recognizes the privilege she has to be able to rot in bed for a whole year without the consequence of having to hustle and pay the bills. 

Although an exploratory book about one’s existence (and the lack of drive to live), it didn’t really do much for me aside from the occasional reflection about my own life. 

Trigger warnings: depression, drug abuse, animal cruelty, abortion, sexual assault 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Mental illness

Moderate: Animal cruelty

Minor: Abortion and Sexual assault

potatereader's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Eating disorder, Drug use, Addiction, Cancer, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, Vomit, Mental illness, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Grief, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death of parent, Infidelity, Addiction, Cancer, Self harm, and Sexual assault

allisonobrien's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Death of parent, and Mental illness

acstar's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Torture, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Rape, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Medical content, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt

liz_rath's review against another edition

reflective fast-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

3.0

Could have been an e-mail.
If this had just been the last chapter I'd have given it a much higher rating, but the way it is I feel like it's just very deeply mid. Don't read this if you don't like unlikeable protagonists though or it will feel like torture.

Honestly the book seemed deeply confused about it's themes becauee unless the intended take away was "If you're unhappy with your life and suffer from depression Jus continue being a shitty person refusing to cope with your issues abouse a bunch of drugs and your attitude and life will magically fix themselves eventually" then it was lost. If that was supposed to be the take away then "Uh weird message bro, but sure". I liked the whole disaffected Millenial stick but it did not carry a whole book. At times it felt more like I was reading a character bible instead of a story. And with how it ends, her plan just working no real twists or curveballs, I was just left wondering what the point was.
Like I'm not one to demand a classic american story structure. You just had a cool quick idea and protagonist doesn't change substatially or learn anything by the end - fine by me. But we did not need so many words to tell this story (and I am using the term very liberally here) and the thing doesn't have that many words to begin with.

But whatever the prose was competent and it was a very quick read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Self harm, Mental illness, Drug use, Toxic friendship, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Gaslighting and Alcohol

Minor: Ableism