loganrieder98 's review for:

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh
4.0
dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
This was...interesting. The way that different themes, such as the contrast between the characters' religious beliefs and the emotional denial required by the bleak hardship of their day-to-day lives, were interwoven was intriguing, but I feel like many subplots and recurring ideas could have been explored in a deeper, more satisfying way. The ending felt very abrupt and kind of fell flat for me. The writing style alternated between being very bare-bones, almost like a fable, and being extremely vivid and real, often in a grotesque way. I usually have a strong stomach for similar content in books, but some of this definitely pushed the line into making me feel physically uncomfortable, which was sort of the point. I don't see myself returning to this as soon as I will for most of Moshfegh's other works, but I will do so someday, and I have a feeling I might like it more a second time!
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