Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

124 reviews

kayla_wikaryasz's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

0.5

This book was gross. Not even in a good way. Clearly this author is talented, but the story was so perverse that it seemed they were just going for shock value. I only finished it because I invested too much time into it already, and was hopeful that it would at least end in a meaningful way. It didn't. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

safiewafie's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Excrement, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Miscarriage and Misogyny

baileyherman's review against another edition

dark tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

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. 

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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! 

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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

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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

emilymyra's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

uranuz's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

rosie_tyl_er's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

all of these characters are bonkers cray cray and i didn't like any of them but it was still a really fast read, and i couldn't put the book down ! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

bloupibloupreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.0

Imagine having top quality ingredients and yet still baking a disastrous cake because you can’t follow the recipe correctly. This was my opinion on Ottessa Moshfegh’s “My Year of Rest and Relaxation”. This opinion still stands with her latest book, Lapnova. 

The intrigue picked my curiosity, the idea in itself is great but the way Moshfegh worked around with it was just not it. It’s always tell, never shown, the book is trying to be “something” deep in a way but completely fails because there is no substance, there’s nothing concrete in this story. 

For My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Ottessa Moshfegh just scratched  the top of an amazing idea with her fingernail and never tried to go deeper, here she sprinkles a semblance of deeper knowledge onto a great idea, she works around it never on it. She adds stuff here and there, left and right to the story that just makes everything feel a little bit too much. The book just comes off as trying too hard. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Violence, Excrement, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Murder

Minor: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit