A review by jordan21
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

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

4.5

There is truly no other book that is pleasantly vulgar yet endearing like this one. The descriptive language used to paint the everyday scenes  are poetic yet realistic, and the humor is witty and clever. While the unnamed main character is egotistical and irritating, she perfectly represents the extremes of mental illness and redeems herself in the final pages. 

If you enjoy Sheila Heiti’s crude writing (which I don’t) you would most likely love this book for its similarity in tone, but I believe Moshfegh to be the better contemporary writer of the genre. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings