Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

198 reviews

knowriley's review

dark funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

Deceivingly funny at the outset, then a long 200 page spiral into a hypnotic and painfully accurate depiction of the physiological experience of depression at its most expressive. Read with caution, in my opinion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Addiction, Grief, Mental illness, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Eating disorder, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Body shaming

imds's review

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Vomit, Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Abortion, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Terminal illness, Infidelity, and Mental illness

rionstorm's review

slow-paced

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

0.25

This book sucks so bad... she was clearly trying to be ironic and failed... literally everything about it is irritating... the casual racism, the repetitiveness, her constantly talking about how pretty she is, how every character is cartoonish and one dimensional, the incredibly silly (and distasteful) ending... awful

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Confinement, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer, Racism, Alcoholism, Vomit, and Terminal illness

Minor: Abortion, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Pregnancy

chickaboogawah'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

0.25

This book was horrible. The end epiphany that I expected didn't happen. The main character was still unlikeable. It was predictable and dumb. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Vomit, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug use, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Cancer, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

leafy_literature's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

1.5

What was the point of this book? What was the plot? The main character is a horrible person with no redeeming qualities. Her friend tried so hard, just to always get crapped on. Don't waste your time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Self harm, Mental illness, Cancer, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Death of parent, Drug use, Fatphobia, Suicide, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Grief, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, and Medical content

karalynaa's review

dark emotional funny hopeful 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Abortion, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Misogyny, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Death, and Death of parent

lenacamci's review

dark 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

First and foremost, this character is very unlikable - clearly on purpose. 
She also deals with depression and grief and pain that a life of privilege could not shield her from.

This book is so driven by its character and the way she perceives the world and copes with it and yet, she does not learn. She changes but she doesn't grow. 
It's very well written but it's not a pleasant read. It makes you reflect on how you can relate to her and yet leaves you frustrated by her decisions and just general unpleasantness. Which is fine, it's good to have bad, well written morally bad, insufferable but nuanced female characters. 

The ending was the bitter note for me, as Reva is yet another somewhat unlikable character but who at least somehow tries and loves as superficial as she could be. Struggling with mental health, I didn't expect this book who is already a dark take having such a bitter, "life is unfair", painfully real ending. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Addiction, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Cancer, Drug abuse, Suicide, Chronic illness, Confinement, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Drug use, and Mental illness

Minor: Pregnancy, Vomit, Alcoholism, and Abortion

mariavdl's review

dark sad

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Death of parent, Cancer, Terminal illness, Excrement, Vomit, Sexual content, Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Abortion

amyford's review

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Grief, Cancer, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Addiction, Medical content, Suicide, Bullying, Drug abuse, Vomit, Mental illness, Self harm, Terminal illness, Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Excrement

skylerclaudia's review

slow-paced

1.0

I just didn’t like this. 

To me, the most interesting part was right before Reva’s mother passes away and after she passed away. I’m not sure at all what I’m supposed to have taken away from this book but I’m glad I’m finished. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Addiction, Grief, Vomit, and Toxic relationship