Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

72 reviews

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

rebekahmm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

I loved the WRITING in this book, but hated everything that happened. Every character is deeply flawed, yet written so well you know exactly why someone does or says something. Vivid, fleshed-out characters drive this story in a little medieval village. Everyone is either bad or awful, but they all have their reasons. The fantastic writing is the only reason I finished this book. Would not recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence

gabburrit0's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

2.5

this book (like the other books I've read by Moshfegh) leave me with the same feelings of confusion and uncomfortability.

why was there so much child abuse mentioned throughout the story? on multiple, absolutely awful levels? was this book a criticism of the human condition at it's very worst? was Villiam a satirical presentation of those in power? what was Ina's whole deal? and why was Marek the central character that we kept going back to?

also what the hell even was Marek's purpose throughout the whole book besides being beaten and made fun of and then eventually a murderer?

not really my cup of tea but I can say that I gave Moshfegh another shot

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

captainyaht's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Abandonment

k31r's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

Horribly terrific 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

bellepierson's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy

Minor: Abortion

nith's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

akira_outofthegravity's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

I don’t know if I’ve been lied to, or if I’ve just read a lot of fucked up stuff, but this wasn’t as messed up as I’d thought it would be. It was just kind of weird.

I didn’t dislike it, the writing is beautiful, but I do wonder what the point of it all is. 

I loved all the religious references, marek and Jacob, Jude (Judas), etc etc, but something fell flat for me. I think overall the story is good, but it’s missing something. I think Marek could have been focused on more, as well as Lapvona as a place.

That being said I love the cyclical nature of the storyline, and I liked how I was sympathetic for certain characters and then it would slap me in the face with something horrible they’ve done and I’d be like “wow fuck that”.

Ultimately, I believe this is a story of a boy so starved of love and for a mother that he will search for it anywhere. Whether in punishment or in false love, eventually trying to force people to love him.

Lispeth deserved the world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Murder

Minor: Body horror, Incest, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship

aeleonorrr's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

stardustdreamer's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Cannibalism, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Pedophilia, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Vomit