Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

366 reviews

cwbillings's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

I forced myself to read this in a day and I’m so glad I did. I truly love it. It’s exceptional. But this story is not one you can carry in your mind for long. It’s heavy. It’s demented. And the allegorical messages are superbly written. I’d recommend reading this if you’ve got a strong stomach.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Violence, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Murder, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Gore, Sexism, and Sexual content

cpratreads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

This book was fine. I struggle to explain exactly how I feel about it. I find Moshfegh's writing to be very easy to read, and I certainly read this book quickly. I did want to know where the story would go. But I didn't enjoy the story. 

I think part of that is that I had my own idea of what it was going to be, and boy was I wrong. But also, it just felt mean? 

I know it's "historical" fiction but it's also fantasy, and Lapvona isn't a real place, so you can really make the rules whatever you want. 

the way EVERYONE treated Marek was so mean and dehumanizing. If you're making up the rules of the land, you don't need every single person to comment on how "monstrous" and "disgusting" he is every chance you get. On top of that there was a very unneccesary rape scene that was very hard to get through.

 

Overall, I don't want to read it again, and I don't think I would even recommend it to anyone honestly. 

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Cannibalism, Gore, Ableism, and Death

Moderate: Sexual assault and Child abuse

liv_1810's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book was a whole rollercoaster, and there were times I had to put it down to digest what I’d just read. But I loved how provocative it was and how it really made me sit and think deeply about what I was reading. The morally grey (if not completely immoral) characters were written so well and so deeply that it was hauntingly perfect. Definitely not for the faint-hearted but beautifully done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Rape, Gore, Death of parent, Blood, Murder, Cannibalism, and Death

Moderate: Incest, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

amelieedenn's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.5

reading this was kind of like witnessing a car crash - awful but I also couldn’t look away

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Self harm, Excrement, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Blood, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Death of parent, Child death, Murder, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Cannibalism

filesm's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Wow y’all really mad at Ottessa for this one… it’s not her fault medieval people were freaks! 
I imagined Jude as Rhett from GMM and now I’m kinda scared of Rhett :,(

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Excrement, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Suicide

novelspirits's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Cannibalism, Death, and Child abuse

tiaroseshang's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Animal death, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Abortion, Cannibalism, Confinement, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual content, Murder, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Violence

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Classism, Vomit, Blood, and Kidnapping

cheuksin's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Generally one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. I hated every single one the characters

(except lispeth, dibra Agata they were mostly innocent bc as far as I can remember)

. I was told it was weird but wow was I shocked at this true extent of how bizarre and uncomfortable it would be. One of the most in depth books when it comes to critiques of religion, patriarchy and capitalism and just overall so well thought out

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Child death, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Animal death, Gore, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Abortion, Ableism, Animal cruelty, and Incest

Minor: Excrement and Miscarriage

arifairy's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Suicide, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Rape, Self harm, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, and Sexual violence

kozumethan's review against another edition

dark inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Pedophilia, Ableism, Animal cruelty, and Child abuse