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

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

2.0

This is not a book to read if you don't want to ruin your mood or would like to keep a happy disposition toward life itself. My year of rest and relaxation is certainly one of the more stranger books I have read this year. A story about a young woman wishing to go into hibernation in an attempt to rewire her brain about her views towards herself and life itself. 

Despite not liking any of the characters and the lack of character development throughout the book, I must say I felt compelled to keep reading. I wanted to see if this year of rest and relaxation would accomlish what our MC thought it would and deep down I wanted it to work for her. But I also appreciate that the idea was careless, not well thought through at all and certainly isn't something I would ever recommend anyone to try or even attempt anything remotely similar. 

The only reason I gave this book two stars is due to the fact the ending and the build up to the ending have stuck in my head and I have been tossing and turning ideas relating to them in my mind for days. This book may have been one of my least liked reads of this year however I must applaud the author's capability to get me thinking long after I have put the book down. 
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