Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

241 reviews

nasolireads's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

This book felt like a fever dream filled with the most gruesome and depraved things you could ever think of. I found it interesting and wanted to know if it was going to end up more messed up than how it started. But the ending fell flat and it got kind of boring. Even with the little reveal at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, and Cannibalism

lanamackreads's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic

cecilyroseceillam's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

Lapvona was very captivating and was very engaging, it had a lot of references to religion. Like LapVona and Villiam's manor representing heaven and hell; it had a lot to say about class systems and how religion is used to keep people in a certain bracket. I liked the representation of Ina as Eve/ Lilith. It was interesting to see her take part in nurturing all the people in the village with her breast milk, using herbs, and talking to the birds to learn about the world. Ina is my favorite character. It was interesting to learn about her powers, like being immortal through reversing her age. I also liked the symbolism of Cain, God, and Abel shown through Marek, his dad, and his cousin Jacob. The violence they commit to each other to go to heaven makes an interesting parody of how religion is used to justify evil. I also liked the commentary on what happens when taxes come from religion. The cultural impact it had on resources and people's land was shown in the book, as well as the constant fear of going to hell and sinning. The symbolism of the lambs and babes was also clever, and I enjoyed how it related to Marek and the ending. Villiam was also an interesting character because of how sinister he was. It could be referencing William the Conqueror/William the Eighth as he brought religion and taxes to LapVona for the sole purpose of being wealthy while keeping everyone else poor under the guise of God's decree. The philosophical conversations present what existence truly is, if there is a place for humans in the world, and how God seemingly promotes suffering. Seeing how the characters dealt with it was interesting. Overall I highly enjoyed LapVona and think it’s very effective at presenting its message. However, the book didn’t truly land for me since I’m not extremely knowledgeable on the bible, so many references went over my head as I only have a baseline knowledge.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

bookmuva's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

n3verm0r3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Abortion

tiwwy's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, and Abortion

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Blood, and Murder

ambersoda's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual content, Vomit, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, and Pregnancy

02kloun's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.0

i love this book i will never read it again

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Abortion, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Drug use, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

starvation due to drought is a core plot device throughout one of the sections of the book

reads2cope's review against another edition

1.0

Was this published as a prank to see if people would actually read it?
It was so disgusting and pointless that I would have thrown it aside early on if I wasn’t reading it for a bookclub. This is especially strange because it had such potential - an interesting setting, ruined by a total lack of commitment to the alleged time period (people know disease was spread by ships, travelers, and rats [yet take no predations, just continue to die]; a character is asked if he had a “girlfriend”; a kid proclaims that he wants to be an “explorer” when he grows up, and so much more) and themes of religion, family, truth, sexuality, class, abuse, pandemics, isolation, and so much more are introduced, and then simply thrown aside.

In an especially jarring section at the end of the second to last chapter, the reader is suddenly addressed directly: “Everything seems reasonable in hindsight. 

Right or wrong, you will think what you need to think so that you can get by. So find some reason here.” Unfortunately, there was no reason to be found there or in any other part of the book.

The only partial redemption and what even allowed me to finish reading was the flow and some actually funny lines:
‘What about heaven, Ina? Don’t you want to go?’ 

‘It doesn’t matter,’ she said. ‘I won’t know anyone.’
And even less often, a truly beautiful paragraph:
“his heart felt cold, like a sweat chilled by a sudden wind. It was a terrible feeling, the boy's first experience of nostalgia: the pain of his past.  Until now, time had had almost no meaning. The sun rose and set. The church bells donged, but he didn't bother to count them.”

“She had a wisdom that nobody could recognize; the deaths of her children hadn't torn the innocence from her heart, but had calloused her against her own rage.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

friedathurman's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-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

2.5

The writing was okay. Some of the graphic subject matter was just not at all my cup of tea.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism