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annarchy_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
spooderman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Miscarriage, Racism, Islamophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, and Classism
xmifeng_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, and Abandonment
Minor: Ableism, Racism, Rape, Violence, Vomit, and Abortion
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"My Year of Rest and Relaxation" follows a young woman who seems to have it all. She has a great apartment on the upper East Side of Manhattan, she recently graduated from Columbia, she comes from a wealthy family, she is beautiful and thin, and she has an easy job at an art gallery. However, she does not feel lucky, and after losing both her parents, she does not care to live her life any longer. She decides she needs a break; all she needs is to sleep for a year and then she can get her life back on track. So, she sets out on a drug-induced sleep to cure all of her problems.
I did not have super high expectations going into this book because I felt like the premise might be boring to read at times. However, even though I think the main character is unlikable most of the time because she is struggling so deeply with her depression, I really empathized with her and wanted to give her a hug. This book is highly pretentious, and it is definitely not for everyone, but it hit a chord with me, and I have not stopped thinking about it since I finished it.
The main character's attitude towards life and the narrative about how monotonous her days are really highlights someone's mindset who is struggling with depression. I think she provides an excellent example of someone who seems to have it all and people around her do not understand how she can be depressed. Depression is not "earned" by those with the hardest struggles.
She is a pretty horrible friend to Reva throughout the story, but Reva is not necessarily better towards her. Their friendship seems to be because they have been friends for so long and neither one wants to let go, but honestly neither does much for the other. I did really enjoy seeing Reva poised against the main character to highlight how two people with similar lives can turn out so very different.
This book ends with a mention of 9/11. I cannot think of many other fictitious titles that I have read that mention 9/11, let alone one set in New York. It was heartbreaking and interesting to read about a character witnessing the violence firsthand.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I am curious to pick up more from Ottessa Moshfegh.
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
taylorgc721's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship
hclin's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Violence, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal cruelty
amsswim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
If you're into reading about completely unhinged women doing unhinged and borderline horrifying things, do read. If you're worried definitely leaf through the trigger warnings to get an idea at least.
I think I'll read from this author again, would recommend to some (definitely not everyone)!
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Sexual content, Abortion, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Violence, Excrement, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, and Classism
_bailey_reads_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
However this book is not in any way a good book to read for life advice or for finding a good way to cope with depression. Think of this book and everything the MC does as everything not to do. The MC is deeply troubled and in need of actual help from an actual professional which she does not get. I was very concerned with the ending of the book because it is not at all accurate to the realities of mental health and life itself. She doesn’t actually deal with anything she struggles with, she just avoids it… which is not possible in reality.
PSA to everyone reading this: medication is not a problem solver and will not fix you. You cannot run away from your problems, that includes sleeping.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
que8lin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, and Toxic friendship
raemayy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Cancer, and Abortion