Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

The Discomfort of Evening by Lucas Rijneveld

49 reviews

meru's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Child death, Excrement, and Vomit

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, and Self harm

Minor: Antisemitism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

becca_thegrimreader's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

What an appropriate title, discomfort is exactly how I would sum up this book. A claustrophobic novel that tells the story of ten-year-old Jas and her family living on a Dutch farm. After her older brother dies in an accident her family are plummeted into grief, which they never acknowledge. 

As Jas and her siblings are left to their own devices, their methods of dealing with this traumatic event and we watch as they begin to cling onto each other and their beliefs. I would say that this book is not for the faint-hearted as some topics that are mentioned are animal cruelty, child neglect, sexual exploration, and abuse. Not only this, the imagery and language in this book are overly dark and grotesque with nothing left to the imagination. 

Having Jas as the narrator is interesting, as we watch as she tries to make sense of the world she’s living in with limited understanding. Her fantasies at times are incredibly disturbing as she becomes fascinated with the idea of death. She observes her family’s griefs, and their behaviour is narrated by Jas in a childish and honest way. 

As we move towards the end, Jas’ fantasies are hard to determine if they are reality or nightmare. This is a book that explores grief and how it can manifest in different members of a family. I thought that Rijneveld’s aim at points was to create more and more grotesque scenes, where I hoped that there might be a reprieve. This is a book that will have your stomach churning till the very end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death

minxtte'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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Child death, Excrement, Grief, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Antisemitism, Blood, Eating disorder, and Incest

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Cursing, Pedophilia, and Vomit

emptychurches's review

dark reflective 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

4.0

I always enjoy books that have an adolescent protagonist that manage to preserve the weirdness of the mind of a child/teenager. The recall of stories that they are told being taken as truth, the value systems and their place in the world, and interactions with their siblings and peers. I really struggle with this type of books where the narration is through a lens of omnipotence. Kids are messy. Growing up is dark sometimes. This book really nailed that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Grief, and Suicide

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Eating disorder, Excrement, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, and Self harm

Minor: Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

serenadoodles_'s review

challenging dark sad tense fast-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

3.0

Honestly this book made me feel uncomfortable but I guess that they meant for that to happen, it’s not a bad book, it was easy to read and it was interesting, 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Infertility, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Bullying, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

emmrosa's review

challenging dark sad tense 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

4.5

Probably one of the most disturbing books I’ve read. So well written. Articulates how grief can warp people. Captures both the innocence and horror of children coming of age in a family tainted by grief. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, and Self harm

ameliasbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Excrement, Child abuse, Grief, Violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Religious bigotry, Vomit, and Death

jamieruwen's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

The word “brutish” comes to mind.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Child death, Violence, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Self harm, Rape, Mental illness, Incest, Grief, Excrement, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, and Eating disorder

Neglect, emotional manipulation, christianity

uncomfortablenouns's review

dark sad tense slow-paced

• 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: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Incest, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

Not for the squeamish. Honestly, I mostly felt trolled by this book.