Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

71 reviews

max63815's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

Couldn’t put it down, made me cry multiple times.

There was a lot of fatphobia and body shaming which is eventually addressed but still quite excessive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia and Body shaming

edgwareviabank's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

I picked up this book almost reluctantly, because of the hype that surrounded it since it came out: more often than not, when reading a commercial novel with this sort of acclaim, I end up thinking it's not justified. Glowing recommendations on Twitter, plus finding at the library, tipped me the other way. And for the first few days of reading, I was prepared to come here with a scathing review, because it was proving all my assumptions.

Most of my issues were with the first third, which I found an absolutely miserable slog. The plot takes its time to get going, and while it later becomes clear that there's a good reason for it (it is important for readers to dive deep into how Eleanor's mind works first), there are so many hints at various tragic and sad events in Eleanor's life, I often wondered whether the author might be piling too much trauma onto one single character, for the backstory to sound entirely realistic. Yes, I get that not all fiction is, or has to be, entirely realistic. But, as a reader, that's what I tend to enjoy the most. The one bleak element of Eleanor's life that stood out as the most believable is how she's a vulnerable person who has been failed by various systems and people, at all points in her life. I appreciated reading a story that paints that sort of picture of a human life, because it's something way too many people have to endure without the rest of the world thinking twice.

The remaining two thirds of the book got a lot better and smoother to read, and within a few days, I could no longer put it down. The plot speeds up a little, and the uncertainty about where it's ultimately going becomes pleasant, because its meanderings provide plenty of opportunities to warm up to the people Eleanor begins to get close to in the same way as she's learning to warm up to them herself. If there's one thing this book has going for it, that would be quite a few lovely people helping Eleanor see the possibility of a life she never imagined. Glimmers of hope begin to appear, and as a character arc, Eleanor's is quite rewarding to follow in the end. I think that's the main point of the novel; a surprise unveiling of Eleanor's traumatic past definitely wasn't it for me, as the hints the author drops fairly often make it easy to piece together, and don't feel nearly as mysterious as her intention might have been.

To sum up, I'm glad I read on. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine won't get unconditional praise from me, and it won't make it on to any of my "favourites" lists (not even "favourite books I read in 2022"), but if you're on the fence, I say go for it. It may subvert some of your expectations, as it did for me, and I like when that happens.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Child death, and Body shaming

chris_reads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, and Mental illness

Moderate: Child abuse and Suicide attempt

Minor: Body shaming and Vomit

sunny_not's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I picked this up from the library since many people had recommended it online. However, after that I saw that many others didn't like it so I avoided reading it till the last possible minute which was a waste since it was so good. I really enjoyed eleanors development. Raymond was really nice and I think this book tackled with such heavy subjects fairly well. Overall it was quite enjoyable imo. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

checkmate's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad

5.0

i went into this thinking it was a funny little slice of life ….. what the fuck 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia

dorilyss's review against another edition

dark emotional sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed it, but tags and descriptions are absolutely misleading. This book deals with heavy topics and I have no idea where the "funny" part is. Very emotional, well written, and hopeful, but I honestly think there should be more content warnings and even without spoilers better blurbs. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Child abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Vomit, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

The main character deals with alcoholism, doesn't remember her past due to traumatic events which she will remember, a character dies, and there is emotional abuse and self sabotaging thoughts. In her past there is child abuse, unfortunate experience in foster care even if not graphic, a fire that resulted in injuries and death.

leoni_plu's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Child death, Fatphobia, Grief, Physical abuse, and Rape

ginadapooh's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Self harm, Stalking, Child death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Ableism, and Bullying

the_escapist's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Vomit, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Addiction, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Child death, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Rape

cadybooks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Violence, Child death, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia

Minor: Pedophilia, Death of parent, Rape, and Domestic abuse