Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

246 reviews

flo_sg's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Excrement, Gore, Sexual assault, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Body horror

Moderate: Vomit, Abandonment, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Violence, and Pregnancy

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Suicide, Eating disorder, and Incest

karmkeigh's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was a fantastically written book; however, a good portion of the content was fairly disturbing. While much of it was integral to the structure of the story and understanding who, exactly, these characters all were, Moshfegh certainly didn’t spare us any details. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Vomit, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Murder, Animal death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Abortion

Minor: Suicide, Excrement, Grief, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Death, Pregnancy, and Pedophilia

miarae22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

grotesque and jarring

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Cannibalism, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

This book is difficult to read at times. It is interesting to be sure but I would approach it with caution if graphic content makes you uncomfortable

2ofhearts's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

ottessa loves to be yucky gross as shock value while making some pretty succinct criticisms/praises of religion (and religious hierarchies) as a mode of corruption, community, and epistemology. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual violence, Rape, Vomit, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Violence

cmorelli's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

3.25

Oh boy, where to start unpacking this one.

First off, it feels like this book tries to hit any and all triggers possible, so be warned in advance.

Marek, a crippled, abused, motherless shepherd’s son, constantly lives under the fear of his unworthiness in God’s eye. With jealousy and anger, he commits a crime that puts him as a ward to the Lord of the fiefdom - Villiam, who is childish as the very least, abusive, controlling, and wildly incapable of his position as a lord at the very most. 

This book, written in a medieval setting, gives you a sense of discomfort every page of the way.

While written to pull you in to the horror show of Lapvona you can’t possibly look away from out of morbid curiosity, Lapvona’s story falls flat without meaning. It’s a press just to see how uncomfortable you can be made.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Gore, Vomit, Bullying, Classism, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Incest, Mental illness, Excrement, Murder, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, and Pregnancy

evantmellon's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Misogyny, Classism, Death, Child abuse, Child death, Animal death, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Self harm, Sexism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Abortion, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

letsreadbooks_emilie's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book was disgusting, but I couldn’t stop reading it, already being a big fan of Ottessa Moshfegh. Seemed like a cloaked critique of capitalism, I can see how this was written during quarantine. Every (vile) character got their moment to shine for us to get a glimpse into their perspective. Very complicated reader-character relationship, like holding up a mirror to humanity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Classism, Death, Incest, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Rape, Vomit, Excrement, Self harm, and Violence

Stay away if you are queasy, hard to read even with a strong stomach.

jazthegreat's review against another edition

dark 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

0.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Animal death, Cannibalism, Violence, Death of parent, Incest, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Vomit, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Abortion, Child death, and Grief

hlb2023's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Child death, Death, Excrement, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Cannibalism, Child abuse, and Violence

emelynreads's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

2.0

This book wasn't it. I felt nauseated 65% of the time, and bored the other 35%. I was thinking it would be a grotesque but mysterious, creepy read but it was mostly god fearing Christians and child predators. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Rape, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Physical abuse, and Pedophilia

Minor: Suicide, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Self harm, and Excrement