Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Mi año de descanso y relajación by Ottessa Moshfegh

390 reviews

sestout's review against another edition

dark funny 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Addiction

Moderate: Terminal illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Death of parent, Grief, Drug abuse, and Animal death

Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, and Toxic friendship

eerikaanni's review against another edition

dark funny 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

4.0

I picked up this book expecting a somewhat lighthearted, character driven story with a mentally ill protagonist. What I got was a gorgeous satirical critique of white American capitalism that worked beautifully in showcasing the grotesque hypocrisy and blind privilege of rich white people in the U.S.

The main character is terrible. Her best friend is pathetic. Their dynamic is annoying at its best and completely destructive at its worst. There's little to no plot, and there's a 5-line long imagery collage of random things, names, places, activities, or thoughts like every other paragraph. That gets a bit exhausting to read at times.

But I think that's the point: materialism, the ownership and manifestation of things and more things is at the focal point of American capitalism. It is its driving force; the desire of more, until the Earth starts regurgitating everything we have consumed back up again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Eating disorder, and Cursing

Moderate: Vomit, Bullying, Body shaming, Cancer, Abortion, Dysphoria, Grief, Infidelity, Death of parent, Fatphobia, and Child abuse

aritacb's review against another edition

dark funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

This book was a lot of things - existentialist fiction, a dark humored satire with poignant realistic moments, a commentary on mental health and grief, a commmentary on the effects of privilege and how people abuse it. This book kind of reminded me of the Stranger by Albert Camus - an existentialist novel. 

The premise of the book is something that seems like it would be hard to pull off and Moshfegh did. My Year of R&R was reminiscent of novels like the Bell Jar while still being innovative. She touched on multiples topics well and nothing in the plot felt like it droned on or was rushed. 

This gets four stars since I hate how girls on booktok and bookstagram glamorize the protagonist. She was privileged, vain, conceited, selfish, a bad friend, and needed legitimate help instead of her quack of a psychiatrist. I hated how she treated her best friend and criticized her for being shallow and for the affair she was having with her boss when she was ten times more spoiled and couldn’t get over the also older crappy guy she was on and off with. 
I also didn’t like the vulgar parts in the book, which I know that Moshfegh added along with other things in the book for the shock factor but it was a bit much at times. 

The ending didn’t sit right with me because sleep “solved everything” and she got to live a normal life - something that wouldn’t get to happen without her privilege. I also feel like what happened at the end wasn’t fair to a specific character and that they deserved better than what happened to them. 

This isn’t for anyone who wants character development or is expecting a fast paced plot but if you want something simultaneously funny, aggravating, and sad that will make you think a little bit - I recommend this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse

Moderate: Grief, Body shaming, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Death

quinnsometimesreadsbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Grief

Moderate: Mental illness and Terminal illness

fkshg8465's review against another edition

dark 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

1.0

I fail to see why this book was such a sensation. It was possible one is the worst uses of my time. It had no point whatsoever, which is probably the way I would describe every single character too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Addiction, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, Abortion, Cancer, Suicide, Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse

fkshg8465's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-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

1.0

I fail to see why this book was such a sensation. It was possible one is the worst uses of my time. It had no point whatsoever, which is probably the way I would describe every single character too. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Drug abuse, Drug use, Confinement, Abandonment, Addiction, Death of parent, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Cancer

tadiwa_e's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-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

5.0

In “My Year of Rest and Relaxation,” the MCs complex relationships, both with her best friend and toxic ex-boyfriend, create a captivating tapestry of human experience. As she seeks solace in sleep, the toxic dynamics with her ex-boyfriend expose the depths of her vulnerability and lack of self-esteem. Simultaneously, her friendship weaves through the narrative, providing moments of support and contrast to the darker aspects of her life. The author fearlessly explores the intricacies of human connections, making this a riveting journey through pleasure, pain, and self-discovery. 5 stars for its unflinching portrayal of relationships and the quest for healing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Grief, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Alcohol, Abortion, Addiction, and Emotional abuse

fromatreebranch's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

3.0

hm.

it was easy to finish.

and difficult to read.

easy: i really like
the pacing, voice,
characterization.

difficult:
1. I... am studying my eye
for desire politics...

this book was useful
in this regard --

the narrator's discussion
of self, Whoopi
("magical negro trope"/fixation
with Whoopi and her body),

and/in relation with every other
person/subject in the book.

2. This person 
is really hurting.

p.s.
did not realize
until now that 

i wasn't forgetting
her name -- we do
not ever get it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Grief, Self harm, Drug use, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Abortion, Medical content, Misogyny, Child abuse, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Addiction, Animal death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, and Cancer

mirandahems's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.5

like a y2k Bell Jar

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer, Confinement, Body shaming, Classism, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Grief, Mental illness, and Sexual content

baylee_grace's review against another edition

dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

Unreliable narrator who isn't really a good person yet you sympathize with her. The descriptions of her thoughts and feelings are extremely raw and honest, you can't help but relate to them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Addiction, Drug use, Sexual assault, Classism, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Body shaming

Moderate: Medical content, Grief, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Abortion