Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

7 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. 

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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

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

haileyeh's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.75

Gross for the sake of being gross.

This book answers the question - what if Saltburn was less interesting and 10x more gross? 🙄

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Violence, Medical content, and Grief

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Cursing, Incest, Racism, Excrement, Abortion, Abandonment, and Alcohol

sarahbeth01w's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

2.75

This review contains spoilers 

Wow. That's all I can really say about this book. 

I was loaned a copy of this book from a friend. I would never have picked up a book like this if it had not been recommended to me. 

I enjoy media with creepy motifs. However, I like my creepy media with a hefty side of hope and humor. 
This book has no hope or humor, but I didn't dislike this book. Conversely, I didn't like this book. It definitely made me feel a certain way

 I don't know what the author was trying to say, but it's clear that she was trying to say something. The only theme I could possibly pin down is," Humanity uses God to justify their own thoughts. God is a human creation"

There are way too many trigger warnings and plot points in this book to examine individually in such a short review. So, instead I have invited a co-author to write this part of the review. Take it away Stefon!

2022 hottest book is Lapvona. It has everything: a
Medieval fiefdom, politics, magic, an old woman gouging her eyes out, lambs, rape, love, medical masturbation, religion, bad parents, adult breastfeeding, and poison. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Incest and Miscarriage

celbl8o's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

redwrapped's review against another edition

dark funny sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Lapvona reaches into mankind's worst urges and fantasies, and boldly shows off the depravity that people reach within short periods of time from the craving and attainment of power and the desire for self-importance, and framed in a familiar, sickening way: politicians and religious leaders manipulating and abusing the people they are supposed to help protect and lead to civility and salvation.

The village of Lapvona brags on its fertile dirt, capable of growing anything. But it cannot grow any fruit or vegetables when there's a horrible drought and the only source of water is dammed and stored only for the lord and his manor's usage, but not dispersed to the masses of people who desert their traditional vegetarianism and resort to eating dogs and anything else in their hunger-induced depravity.

"Religion is the opiate of the masses" is examined closely through every aspect of their lives, showing in no unsparing detail how corrupt, selfish, and desperate mankind is to designate meaning to anything, no matter how meaningless and manmade their problems are. Why should God forgive when God didn't even mete out the punishment, but the feudal lord who is both too stupid and too greedy to stop his accomplices from pillaging and depriving the villagers? But the villagers are too stupid and engrossed in their own problems to usually realize that. And then they actually believe that their lord will serve as a father figure to a new Immaculately-conceived Christ child and think of their village as saintly and holy, chosen for a higher purpose.

It's a grim but realistic approach to the political and religious aspect of the novel, but it has a surprisingly warm (but still wicked and morally-decrepit) version of the Prince and the Pauper. And stark, clear-eyed realism gives way to more a fantastical, creepy version of a wise woman who initially serves as a wet nurse for all of Lapvona before growing old and seeking a way to remain relevant to the village.

Moshfegh blends together folk-horror, comedy, biblical allusions, history that repeats itself, grotesque fairy tales (of the Slavic/Eastern European variety, usually the grimmest and scariest of all the folklore and fairy tales), and a series of archetypes as old as time to form one unforgettably bleak and twisted story in a way that only Moshfegh could pull off.

Despite straying farther from her body of work than ever before, Moshfegh has dared to write a book that diverges significantly from the beaten path, and has created Lapvona: a wholly original, unforgettable, and unmistakable tale. (And I LOVED it.)

Thanks to Penguin Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

sarahgr's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Torture, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail