Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

The Discomfort of Evening by Lucas Rijneveld

49 reviews

bomenvernietiger's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

Disgusting. <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Grief, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Incest, Pandemic/Epidemic, Self harm, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Child death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Suicide, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, and Excrement

Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Misogyny, Medical content, Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Body shaming, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Vomit

syinhui's review

challenging dark 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

3.0

"Even though it will feel uncomfortable for a while, but according to the pastor, discomfort is good. In discomfort we are real."

Well, count on this book to give readers discomfort. 

Jas is a unique kid with a hyperactive imagination. She's able to vividly conjure elaborate fantasies and relate the darkness of her thoughts to the mundane things around her - twisting objects, people, the animals in their farm and everyday occurences into a haunting reflection of her state of mind. 

I am not one to shy away from dark themes. I could handle disturbing contents quite well so those aren't my main concerns (though I find the parts about bodily fluids the nastiest of all). Some would say it's gratuitous but I've read worse and while it covers a handful of taboos, it didn't delve much into it. A few sentences or a paragraph then it continues on to whatever bleak and imaginatively sordid ruminations Jas finds herself in. That's pretty much what the novel is about. 

My issue here is that there's not much going on. No substantial plot or clear direction.  Even the dialogues are sparse, often disjointed, cut short - never to be pursued again - which in fact fits the narrative but one I didn't really appreciate. It invites readers to immerse themselves in the depths of the character's mind but that's just about it. The use of similes and metaphors while at first brilliant becomes very tedious to read later on. After all, just how many grotesque comparisons for death and disintegration can there be until it loses its efficacy? 

I would only recommend this book if you're seeking to read something specific: about a character that offers a uniquely morbid and unsettling perspective, particularly, one seen through the eyes of a young girl as she grapples with the tragic loss of a family member and the grief that follows. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Excrement, Incest, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Moderate: Child death, Eating disorder, Vomit, Gaslighting, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Grief

Minor: Bullying and Pedophilia

l4r4777's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.5

A gut-wrenching story about a family consumed by grief told by a deeply traumatised girl. Horrific and disgusting and just a lot. The writing is really good, some lines in particular really stuck with me. Far too many descriptions of (TW)

incest and sexual activity regarding minors

but other than that this book is an intriguing exploration into grief and a family falling apart.

Don’t pick this up if you’re easily squeamish and uncomfortable with any of the content warnings associated with this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Antisemitism, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship

_rosie_reads's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Suicide, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Child death, and Suicidal thoughts

gersonswhistle's review

challenging dark sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Child death, Antisemitism, Vomit, Incest, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Excrement

floorw25's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Self harm, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Racism, Incest, Eating disorder, Death, Child death, Suicide, Grief, and Emotional abuse

justsayfit's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

This is such a well written but highly traumatic book. It deals with family death, depression, eating disorders, abuse, religion and suicide. It is impossible to say that it is a joy to read. In the beginning, it is almost charming to read the ideas of a young girl and her outlook on the world even while she is trying to deal with the death of her brother which she thinks that she is responsible for. The whole family spirals into depression and she tries so hard to make her sense of it. Because her mother in now anorectic and probably a closet alcoholic who drinks in the Celler, the child somehow thinks that the mother is hiding Jews in the cellar and is giving them the food that she herself is not eating. There numbers of such strange thoughts. The child longs so much for consolation and warmth, that she would do just about anything to get any, but her parents are too distracted with their own sorrow and are a bit too “Protestant” to give warmth. Only work gives solace. So many things occur that made me physically and viscerally ill. In the end, I just wanted it all to be over with and, I guess, that was the goal. The reader has no choice but to totally empathise with the child and agree to the only solution that she could devise. It does not end well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Excrement, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Antisemitism, Bullying, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Animal cruelty, Child death, Grief, Physical abuse, and Self harm

bridrew's review

challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Death, Excrement, Eating disorder, Child death, Animal death, Grief, Torture, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death of parent and Pedophilia

badmom's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.25

A story of extreme grief told through the eyes of a young, confused, and increasingly unstable person. Some instances of lovely description but on the whole a disconcerting and ultimately distressing examination of a family that cannot put itself back together after a series of tragedies. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Incest, and Body shaming

Moderate: Incest, Abandonment, Suicide, Eating disorder, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Excrement

melissaroos'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

3.75

The book made me uncomfortable, true to it's title. But I somehow did kind of like it. The writing style sucks you into the book and you do want to know what the characters will do. It's not for the faint of heart

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Eating disorder, Gore, Grief, Death, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide, Mental illness, Child abuse, Self harm, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Incest