Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

449 reviews

ams5x9's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

This was hard to get through…The main character is pretty miserable. The last 1% of the book had the smallest redemption/semblance of humanity. And holy depression (pills) and drug use, Batman! This book had more normal, everyday villains than any other book that comes to mind. An interesting look into the mind of a brain I’m very glad not to inhabit. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Abortion, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

bskalka's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I wouldn’t say I hated this book, however there were definitely aspects I didn’t like. For example, the way the narrator treated Reva during her mothers funeral made me certain of my dislike for her. I also didn’t like how vulgar this book was. I have no problem with vulgarity in books but it has to have a purpose or its just uncomfortable to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, and Abandonment

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, and Classism

_drucifer_'s review

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

2.5

I do love that the unhinged feminine trope is alive and well. I love that we keep getting “weird woman” books. Some of my favorite books ever are about women’s descent into madness (hellooooo The Bell Jar). The thing is….the stories need to be good, believable, nuanced. 

This was not that. This was just absolute absurdity. And not even interesting absurdity, but tired, tropey absurdity that disappointed and bored me. From the protagonist’s “model” appearance and convenient wealth to the ludicrous caricature of the ethically-bereft, new-age, negligent psychiatrist to the toxic hate-hate relationship with the “best friend”who only serves to contrast the narrator, to the crappy, bordering on abusive dead parents. Everything was hyperbole, which felt lazy. 

I love a good morally ambiguous character, ethical gray areas are my jam. But there was no ambiguity here, all these characters were just insufferable people. And worse, they weren’t even interesting insufferable people. I didn’t find anything clever or redeeming about this at all. 

I think readers of a certain age will understand pretty early on that the timeline of this novel bends its arc toward a

9/11 conclusion

, but even knowing that’s where it was headed I found the ending to be rushed and a bit of a cheap trick. However, the last 20 pages were probably some of the best writing of the entire book. 

TLDR; I got this, but I didn’t like it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug abuse, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Violence, Vomit, Grief, and Toxic friendship

rebekkamafia's review against another edition

2.0

this was a waste of time

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Ableism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal cruelty, Vomit, Abortion, and Pregnancy

swinevenus's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Cancer, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

thebranchlibrary_'s review against another edition

dark slow-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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Abortion and Death of parent

alexandragporter's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

conceptually really interesting but falls a little flat as there is no real reflection on the observations made about grief, wealth, vanity and mental illness, but still a relatively enjoyable read! 📖

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Eating disorder

justjessing's review

emotional reflective

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Vomit and Alcohol

Minor: Abortion

mollyharrisxx's review

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Abortion

faerieevee's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, and Classism

Minor: Abortion