Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

69 reviews

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

mariavdl's review against another edition

dark sad

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Death of parent, Cancer, Terminal illness, Excrement, Vomit, Sexual content, Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Abortion

lillihms's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

2.25

bin beim lesen teilweise selbst in hibernation gefallen.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Cancer, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Sexism, Vomit, Mental illness, Death, Drug abuse, and Self harm

Minor: Abortion

cherries_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-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: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Drug use, Gaslighting, Addiction, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Animal cruelty

Minor: Animal death, Excrement, Classism, Abortion, and Pregnancy

mentions of 9/11 and terrorism

haileyeh's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Confinement, Drug abuse, Addiction, Sexual content, Eating disorder, and Drug use

Moderate: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Gaslighting, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Cancer, Abortion, and Alcoholism

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Vomit

fromatreebranch's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

3.0

hm.

it was easy to finish.

and difficult to read.

easy: i really like
the pacing, voice,
characterization.

difficult:
1. I... am studying my eye
for desire politics...

this book was useful
in this regard --

the narrator's discussion
of self, Whoopi
("magical negro trope"/fixation
with Whoopi and her body),

and/in relation with every other
person/subject in the book.

2. This person 
is really hurting.

p.s.
did not realize
until now that 

i wasn't forgetting
her name -- we do
not ever get it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Grief, Self harm, Drug use, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Abortion, Medical content, Misogyny, Child abuse, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Addiction, Animal death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, and Cancer

abitdicier's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Suicide, Confinement, Excrement, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Abortion, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Drug use, Drug abuse, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Cancer

cara_anne's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Bullying, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Drug use, Death of parent, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Grief, Gaslighting, and Addiction

yungblonde's review against another edition

dark funny reflective 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Abandonment, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy

sadiaa's review against another edition

dark relaxing

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Grief, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Confinement, War, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Classism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Alcohol, and Cancer