my year of rest and relaxation… a new booktok favourite

Book review of My Year of Rest and Relaxation – Ottessa Moshfegh. No spoilers.

I have honestly never quite encountered a book like this one.

This is my first encounter with Mosfegh and my surprise to the content was genuine and sudden. The narrator of this story is awful, and I mean truly awful. To the point were I often had to put the book down or audibly scoff. However, this is not a criticism of Moshfegh, as I think her ability to craft such intricately layered characters is a skillset beyond my explanation.

But the story is just so enticing and her sick and twisted monologue is disgustingly addictive. It’s a truly bizzare book, and the ending left me feeling incredibly uneasy. It is brutal and honestly crude, but in a way refreshing, because I’ve not read any literature in this vein… Like ever.

Its a really provactive delve into grief, addiction, trauma, even eating disorders. I cant help but hold some grudge with the narrator because of the way she treats friend Reva, who I have the deepest sympathetic unreciprocated sister bond with. I do often have to remind myself that these people are fictional.

This is not a book for the easy, or those who like a positive and calm reading experince. Expect turbulence at every page. That being said, I think it’s something everyone should be exposed to at least once.

Rating : ✰✰✰✰