Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

432 reviews

marymayne's review against another edition

4.0

A very strange book. I enjoyed it, could relate to some parts, found others funny and some absurd.

I have settled on interpreting it as a parody of how your brain works when you're mentally ill. If only you had a year to catch up on sleep and change everything about yourself, then you could come back better and beautiful and rich and be fixed and have no problems or shortcomings again ever.... then you read the main character doing it and see how it doesn't actually solve anything -

then the absurd ending where she sleeps for 4 months straight as an art piece then has an epiphany on her last sleep and is fixed! And she can go out in the world and forget about the whole thing. Yes that is how it would have to happen ~ if you don't put in the work to get better you'll just stay the same unless there is some medically induced divine intervention.

The 9/11 part was weird. I don't really understand why that was included, and it was so obvious from the moment it's set in NYC in the year 2000 that 9/11 will be a plot point. Then Reva gets a job in the Twin Towers..... I didn't think that added anything

.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Abortion

jneverland's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Body shaming, and Suicide

Minor: Abandonment and Abortion

eachz's review against another edition

dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.5

I need to reflect on this more to give a proper review, but I really enjoyed it. This is my second Moshfegh novel and I'm once again struck by how she crafts these characters who you love and hate and root for and want to slap all at the same time. They're simultaneously realistic and ridiculous. I guess that speaks to the satirical nature of this story. Idk there was something profoundly relatable about the core of this story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, Body shaming, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Cancer, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Death of parent, Suicide, Fatphobia, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Infidelity, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Vomit, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Antisemitism and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

zaraha's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Self harm, Death, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Genocide, Abortion, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Rape, and Violence

jessiphillips's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

2.0

This book could have been really good if the protagonist had actually dealt with her trauma and if there had been real consequences for her substance abuse. Instead, this books gives the dangerous idea that substance abuse can solve your problems. There are no consequences for any of her actions or incredibly selfish and cruel behavior. 

Despite that, she is incredibly relatable (a year is sleep sounds so nice) it was almost a comfort to read someone’s thoughts who had no filter. All the bad thoughts that would cause me to pause and retract, she would carry on with. Unashamedly. She makes no effort at being kind. Her depression was overwhelming and her grief all consuming and if we saw her at a different point in life, maybe she would be different. 

Had there been real consequences for her behavior and actions and had her drug abuse been addressed in any manner at the end, this would probably have been a five star read. 

Also, Reva deserved better

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, and Addiction

Moderate: Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Body shaming, Cancer, Suicide, and Vomit

alekrug's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Suicide, and Death of parent

chickaboogawah's review against another edition

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

0.25

This book was horrible. The end epiphany that I expected didn't happen. The main character was still unlikeable. It was predictable and dumb. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Vomit, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug use, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Cancer, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

liviburke1's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.75

Well, I’ll never be able to look at my Trazodonne prescription the same way. This book was definitely an experience. I don’t know if like is the right word but I genuinely could not put this book down. As insufferable as the main character is, i think her story shines light on a lot of flawed aspects of Western society like individualism and the isolation of wealth. 

I didn’t like how often she mentioned the names of the medications she was on. I understand it’s the point but it was a bit excessive and felt like it was simply for shock value at times. I also would have liked to know more about her life post “treatment”. 

A part of me couldn’t get past how “treatments” like such are actually seen to have more negative effects. Obviously this is fiction but yeah. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Abortion

leafy_literature's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

1.5

What was the point of this book? What was the plot? The main character is a horrible person with no redeeming qualities. Her friend tried so hard, just to always get crapped on. Don't waste your time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Self harm, Mental illness, Cancer, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Death of parent, Drug use, Fatphobia, Suicide, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Grief, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, and Medical content

karalynaa's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Abortion, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Misogyny, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Death, and Death of parent