Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

101 reviews

evantmellon's review

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Misogyny, Classism, Death, Child abuse, Child death, Animal death, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Self harm, Sexism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Abortion, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

letsreadbooks_emilie's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book was disgusting, but I couldn’t stop reading it, already being a big fan of Ottessa Moshfegh. Seemed like a cloaked critique of capitalism, I can see how this was written during quarantine. Every (vile) character got their moment to shine for us to get a glimpse into their perspective. Very complicated reader-character relationship, like holding up a mirror to humanity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Classism, Death, Incest, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Rape, Vomit, Excrement, Self harm, and Violence

Stay away if you are queasy, hard to read even with a strong stomach.

jazthegreat's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

0.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Animal death, Cannibalism, Violence, Death of parent, Incest, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Vomit, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Abortion, Child death, and Grief

historybabe's review

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

3.0

Where do I even begin..... Honestly, I have never had to put down a book so many times in my life. I was shocked by the sheer depravity within its pages. If you can imagine a sin, it is in this novel. If you want to be sick to your stomach by all means, read it. I'm going to go take a hot bath in bleach and read my Bible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Child death, Death, Gore, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cannibalism, Sexual assault, Cursing, Pregnancy, Violence, and Vomit

sheshallbenamed's review

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Suicide, Torture, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Incest, Child death, and Cannibalism

mnatale100's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Rape, Cannibalism, Abandonment, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide, Abortion, Confinement, Excrement, Misogyny, and Pedophilia

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, and Incest

emacmillan's review

Too graphic 🤢

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Ableism, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Torture, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Body horror, Self harm, Pregnancy, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Classism, Vomit, Child death, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Rape, Pedophilia, Murder, Mental illness, Incest, Gore, Grief, Excrement, and Emotional abuse

vvabecca's review

dark sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Grief, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

archer3's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Vile, disgusting, perverse, and extremely grotesque. Certain passages made me physically recoil. Yet, somehow, I loved the story. It was very well-written and I couldn't stop reading. I loved the third person narration that gave insight into the intricacies of so many different characters. I absolutely hated the main characters, and didn't care about the other ones in the slightest, but that was definitely the point. Going back and forth between so many characters and reading their views and personal opinions on each other didn't leave enough time to start liking any of them anyway, and it was genuinely great and so cool to read. Seeing their varying beliefs and conflicting viewpoints was fascinating and gave the story so much more depth and complexity. The subtle message about how differing perspectives alter perceptions, beliefs, and circumstances was striking. 
Some plot points were really not wrapped up well, though.

Spoiler

What on earth was up with Ina taking the horse's eyes?? That felt like very sloppy writing, it just didn't make sense. It seemed it only happened for the shock value. I would've liked there to be a passage about what happened to Dibra. I also didn't enjoy how Jude faded out of the story and then was randomly brought back to replace Luka. I wish that whole situation could've been explained better (like how they even found his cave, for example).

But on the other hand, there were some plot points that I actually really loved and thought were developed perfectly (

Spoiler

such as Marek's biological father being the bandit he kissed at the beginning

). 
I did not find this book predictable at all, and I loved it. Definitely not for everyone, though. (Don't read it if you have a weak stomach...)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Gore, Murder, Abortion, Cannibalism, Child death, Pedophilia, Death, Incest, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, and Miscarriage

avocadotoastbee's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious fast-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

3.5

I liked My Year Of Rest and Relaxation by Otessa Moshfegh and was really looking forward to reading this book.
This is nothing like My Year Of Rest an Relaxation.
Lapvona is funny, dark and twisted. I could rarely predict what would happen next, which made me want to keep reading.
All in all, a fun read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Animal death, Death of parent, Incest, and Death

Moderate: Murder, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Violence