My Year of Rest and Relaxation: A Novel Paperback – June 25, 2019

First, props to the Audible reader. Best I've ever heard. Second, just because a story's characters are negative doesn't mean the story is bad. (Shirley Jackson's THE LOTTERY is one of the best ever.) This story was very good and is salted throughout with wonderfully sardonic humor. The protagonist says things that most people probably think but don't admit, and does things I suspect many people would do if they thought they could get away with it. The pace is also great. I would have liked the book to be a little shorter; that would have been perfection. Respect for uber honesty, and for not trying to hide the level of suffering people can experience. I think the end, especially, is a sort of slow burn resolution. Think about it.

I was looking for a dark humor fiction book, and this one certainly didn't disappoint. I loved the story. Loved the humor. Loved the writing. Loved how the main character's parents were described. They seemed A LOT like mine: didn't know how to be parents, didn't even bother acting like they cared sometimes. If you like dark humor, you should like this book. I am sorry that I waited so long to order it. I will be looking into other books from this author.

This book was entertaining and well written. Dark humor and sarcastic are always fun...But I will say about halfway through, it felt like the story was dragging out. The ended didn't make me happy, nor did it make angry. It just was. I suppose that's the energy of the book as well. I don't regret reading it necessarily. But it's depressing. So I'd suggest trying to have an alternate book to switch with to keep your spirits up. I say this as a person who relates to feeling quiet, sluggish and misunderstood often.

Beautifully written book. I would recommend this to those who love a more modern and less traditional book. Best for those who love things that are experimental and non-linear,

Powerful in the middle, slightly boring in the beginning until we get to know her motive behind her behaviors, ending is gentle not too abrupt

So, I'm not an avid reader. Nor am I a big 'chick lit' fan. I rarely finish books, but I was looking for something to sink my teeth into after a long spell without anything decent to read (by 'decent' I mean nothing I cared about after 20 pages). Well, this book really hit the spot for me.Its a very easy read. Just crack it open and you'll be swept away. The book is written in first person perspective of the main character. I wouldn't say I liked her, nor did I especially dislike her. But I can empathize with her plight.The core concept that drives the plot is pretty provocative - go to sleep for a year and erase your trauma, wake up refreshed and ready to resume life as you were meant to live it, without baggage, without hangups, just living as yourself. Who wouldn't want that?But the way she goes about it, absolutely brilliant.If you can allow yourself to be led down on a journey without constantly pointing out, nitpicking and tearing apart each seemingly unrealistic proposition, you'll be rewarded with an experience that ultimately feels cathartic.I'll admit, there were times that I felt it droned on and on and ....But just speedread beyond that and keep going. The end comes before you know it, and it comes right when you're ready for it.Worth the read.

I began this book and admittedly was drawn in. I guess if the author’s intent was to elicit emotion, it worked.However, the emotion was anger with a little depression mixed in. The two main characters are so mentally unstable and miserable it begins to rub off o the reader. The setting is so miserable, dirty, dark and gray I felt myself getting tired and depressed. The most upsetting thing in this book, however, is the blatant abuse of prescription drugs. With the amounts and mixtures of drugs this author describes the character taking the main character should be dead. Dead by the end of the first chapter. Adivan, ambien, lunesta, lithium, xanax, Valium, trazadone. That’s just some of what she takes. She takes them in high does mixing them with one another and also with alcohol. I’m sure if I tried I could pull this book apart, look for theme and symbolism. I could discuss the integrity of the characters. It’s not worth doing any of those things because this author is not just incredibly ignorant as to these drugs uses, side effects and long term effects but she is horribly irresponsible. Now, in the midst of an prescription drug abuse crisis this author chooses to have a character casually taking 5 ambien with a couple Xanax washed down with a Valium just to go to sleep. The amount of Lithium alone would have left this character brain damaged. When the character abruptly stops putting herself into an unrealistic drug induced stupor she suffers no side effects or withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawing from antidepressants alone is as bad as heroine withdrawal in real life. The book shamelessly promotes drug abuse- long term prescription drug abuse- as a solution to life’s problems. She glorifies the drugs, the abuse, and gives the reader tips and tricks on how to be a drug seeking patient. If any reader that wasn’t aware or what these drugs actually do she could walk away from this thinking that Ambien is harmless. That it has no side effects and that taking several at once would just give you a good night sleep. She would think that mixing Xanax, Valium and Atavan with a chaser of cough syrup isn’t dangerous or downright lethal. This is an instruction manual for suicide or for accidental overdoses. She should be ashamed of herself.