Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

43 reviews

jenniferthor's review against another edition

5.0

wow this book made me uncomfortable. but i loved it? 

it really is a weird lit fic read for the weird girlies. 

now i need to find someone to talk about this one with. otherwise i might go crazy. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

acogna's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

3.75

Huh.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Child death, Pedophilia, and Abortion

Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Incest, and Excrement

zlizzyv's review against another edition

dark 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

2.0

This was easily the strangest book I have ever read. Previous reviews said it felt like a fever dream. Truly it is beyond wild. I was, however, invested, so I did finish it and was surprised by the plot line/ending.

Was the point to be as repulsive and evil as possible? Is it a cruel irony to have so many trigger warnings in one book?

I do not regret finishing the book, but I cannot say I enjoyed it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

mahhias's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No

3.0

What a book! Such a new perspective and storytelling. This is my first Ottessa book and  I loved Moshfegh’s techniques in story telling!  

 I will say however that I felt the book lacked some good-quality writing, there was stilted, almost blunt dialogue, and it made the experience a bit frail. The plot was a bit more mediocre than I expected and there was nothing remotely off-putting or grotesque as people were suggesting. Had my hopes very HIGH: so I was utterly disappointed by this. I think a lot of people say this since it’s probably their first book with this sort of sensitive topics and odd, wicked elements. 
So, people, don’t be so sensitive. You guys have not read books that are GROTESQUE and truly DISGUSTING yet. Do not be that dramatic. There is so many books out there that would perfectly fit the description that Lapvona is depicted as way better. 

I am fond of Lapvona in a way: but it’s not enough for me to really, really like it: there is gross imagery, most of it relating to bodily fluids and excrement, which I found super: disgusting (and this is the only disgusting thing I found in this book even though I was promised more)  and it’s darkly comedic prose, which I did liked this, sometimes, but it was done so many times that I found it super banal.

I feel this book could’ve been a bit better: but overall, this book was enjoyable and it had me very motivated to keep reading. Had me disappointed: of course, but It’s so bleak and satisfying at times. Good book! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Gore, Miscarriage, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Abortion, and Murder

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Gaslighting

paigehf's review against another edition

dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Incest, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Abortion, and Murder

lyricdeletedherinsta's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

reading_112's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

allisonz6's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-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

1.5

what the actual f was that

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

Minor: Miscarriage

cwiita's review against another edition

dark 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

3.0

Well, after marking My Year Of Rest and Relaxation as my only DNF ever, I managed to make it through this one. I purchased this book before I started MYORAR, before I had any idea how much I would struggle with Otessa Moshfegh. I find her to be a difficult read, not for lack of skill or quality, but for the simple fact that she seems to have an ongoing problem with fatphobia and ableism, among other things.  I discussed my initial problems with MYORAR with a friend who has read most of Moshfegh's work, and the consensus was that her stories relay very similar views each time and that her characters tend to be the same type of people across the board. I am a big fan of unreliable narrators and I appreciate the challenge of crafting a story around difficult characters, but to do it unrelentingly in every book while consistently implying hateful messages is tough for me to get behind.
With that being said, I blew through Lapvona. This book is absolutely vile, but incredibly readable when it comes to pacing and language. It was also much easier to tolerate the actions and views of the characters knowing that the events were taking place under a feudal system in medieval times. Moshfegh did a wonderful job of characterization, for better or for worse. The plot is somehow both ceaseless and unrecognizable. It's an infinite circle of pointless suffering, but maybe that's the point.  In an uncanny way, there was something enjoyable about this read. Since I already own MYORAR, this piece almost convinced me to give it another try. Almost.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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