A review by ashleymg99
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

dark hopeful sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I wanted to like this book more. I enjoyed the last chapter the most, but I honestly think this would work better as a short story. The premise is interesting, but I felt like I didn’t really care about the main character, as she is so detached from everything it’s hard to get any sense of who she was before her year of rest. So the growth doesn’t feel quite as earned - I only know her in the throughs of depression.

 That said,
I really enjoyed the final sequence where she takes the last infermiterol and “wakes up”. The process of her starting her life again, finding joy in little things, THAT was the most compelling and hopeful part to me.
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