Reviews with content warning for Classism - Ett år av vila och avkoppling

Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Ett år av vila och avkoppling by Alva Dahl, Ottessa Moshfegh

132 reviews

alyssavaughan32's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.0

Wow, I really don’t know where to begin with this one. I was attracted to the premise because I do think that engaging in rest is an act of rebellion in our capitalistic society, so I was curious to see what this would look like for the main character as she sought healing. While trauma and poor mental health can lead to maladaptive behaviors, I found myself very frustrated with the main character, her shitty behaviors, and complete apathy (and maybe actual hatred??) for every person she interacted with. As a very relational person, I struggled to relate and empathize with her. I also struggled on this front when it came to the MC’s privilege— you’re telling me that you have the financial means necessary to completely take off work for a year and still have plenty of financial stability and you choose to spend that *entire* year drugging yourself to sleep? I feel that there are other (more effective) ways to grow and heal as a person, but that’s just me… I’m a big fan of sleep (nap queen, truly), but I fail to see how abusing sleep medications so you can sleep literally all the time is healing and allows a fresh start. And in those waking moments, the focus is on “I’m still beautiful despite how others would look in my situation” and “Ew, how gross that other people are experiencing feelings and grief”. All of this paired with a “redemption/growth arc” that consisted of the MC finding beauty and meaning as she repeatedly watches a news clip of a woman jumping out of the Twin Towers on 9/11 just felt icky. Overall, I appreciate the nuance when it comes to depicting the human experience, but… this just wasn’t it for me.

Content Warnings

ains_mf's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional tense 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

2.5

I didn’t feel that much happened in this book. Felt very repetitive, and the ending seemed rushed.

Content Warnings

krosebooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Majority of the book is kinda a sleep haze. The writing style is uniquely weird like a dream that doesn’t make any sense. She transforms her self harm into a form of meditation, letting her subconscious do the work.

The ending is amazingly dark and beautiful.

Content Warnings

squaeshy's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny inspiring sad tense 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

4.5

wow. i finished this book just thinking “what the fuck did i just sit through??”. it’s definitely a good read, very much a “it’s a girl thing, you wouldn’t get it” sorta book.

spoilers ahead:

after everything we go through with the MC, to get a glimpse of her new life after clawing her way through it. the drugs didn’t help, until they did when reva took them and snapped the MC back to reality with her purpose of taking these drugs. the entire time, i thought she was just going to spiral and OD, but she made it through. Reva gave her purpose, even in death. just wow. a mindfuck story about grief, girlhood, abusive relations all around, and relatable crude comments.

Content Warnings

iqraina's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny hopeful 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

Content Warnings

azu's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

I didn't like this book. Almost DNF'ed it (and I should have) but I was curious of how worse it could get. The characters are despicable. As someone who had to take meds to sleep or against my anxiety (sometimes with really, really bad after-effects), it made me sick to read all these descriptions of the mc eating pills after pills.

Content Warnings

mimidelrey's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny sad slow-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

3.75

hated it while reading it, realised I loved it after due to It's deep accuracy

Content Warnings

littleseal's review against another edition

Go to review page

- My dumbass thinking Infermiterol was really a medication (I am a therapist that knows some medications but clearly was "tricked" to think this was, lol)
- There is something so interesting about the writing that it was hard to put down sometimes
- I knew, <i>knew</i> what the ending was going to be;

The book was set in 2000, and knew it'd go into 2001 and it would relate back to 9/11

Content Warnings

ruthdiaz's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark funny medium-paced

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

5.0

finished it on december 31st, 2024. funny. absurd. raw. tough. i genuinely enjoyed it, and it was the perfect book for me to read at the end of the year.

Content Warnings

zedohee's review against another edition

Go to review page

reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.0

baby’s first weird woman book. used to want those meds soooo because i read this whilst going through my own dreary depression and was looking for anything to save me. seeing an echo of my pain all laid out without condescension or judgement made me feel so whole, at the time. reading this years later, the relation of pain is still there but far less so as i can see the manufactured maneuvering now. bit sad, this used to be a fave. but that’s growing up for you :(

anyway. outside of the premise (love a endless nap myself) this was sparse and shallow. drably written. & according to the author that’s a little bit on purpose because she was following a checklist in order to write a hit for the masses, but purposeful mediocrity is still mediocrity. but having read more of her works that’s how i feel about her writing in general. perverse and so-edgy-it-rounds-back-around-to-corny to distract from the shaky writing and receptive nature of the story. the cheesiness (with ‘new beginning type endings that’s almost a given but still) of her growth also takes away any real bite this has, even if the ending tries to grab at some shock and awe. just aggressively okay and a little dull but not a terrible way to pass the time. funny, i used to think the #weirdowoman offshoots and ripoffs were below this, but now that ive reread as an adult i see that they’re actually in equal company lol.

Content Warnings

More...