The Book Slump

Tag: Psychological

  • Yesteryear

    Yesteryear

    By Caro Claire Burke

    SPOILER-FREE

    Released 2026, 391 pages.

    ‘My name is Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive…’
     
    Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle – and her followers are sick with envy. Her charming farmhouse on her working ranch is artfully cluttered, her husband is a handsome cowboy, her homemade sourdough boules are each more beautiful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What her followers don’t know won’t hurt them.
     
    Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie knows just two things for sure: this isn’t her perfect life, and she must escape, by any means possible.

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    REVIEW

    THEMES: CONTEMPORARY, TENSE, HUMOROUS, THRILLER, MEDIUM-PACED.

    Natalie Heller Mills has a perfect life… to her Instagram followers. She lives on a farm and leads a ‘traditional’ life. As a woman of faith, she serves her husband and children and never complains.

    So why has she woken up in this nightmare. Her family is familiar, but something is off and her expensive, perfect house is now shabby and tired. Is this a test from God, or a practical joke? And most importantly, can she escape?

    This book has blown up.

    Maybe I am out of the loop, but for me, this book came out of the woodwork and took over my feed. Many people claim they read it in one sitting, which is one of the most enticing sentences a book lover can hear.

    I did not read it in one sitting, and never would. Kudos to those who could, but you are insane. Natalie was too intense for me to take in all at once.

    She is a very interesting character, and it was fascinating reading from a completely foreign perspective. Burke does a good job at making the reader feel like Natalie. I would catch myself reacting as if I was going through it, which is great but a little embarrassing when in public.

    I’ve noticed a couple reviews saying that they didn’t like the book because they hated Natalie… but isn’t that the whole point? Wasn’t that the authors objective? A story doesn’t always have to be adored but understood. And if you understand it, you may come to love it.

    After I finished the book, I kept looking up the characters, forgetting they are fictional. I still get the urge to whenever I think about the book, but alas the search is fruitless.

    I was not a huge fan of the ending, it felt a little unoriginal but at the same it was realistic. I think some of the middle could have been cut out and the ending lengthened, as it felt a bit rushed.

    An enjoyable read but I think it is slightly overhyped. I would suggest spacing it out if you’re someone whose mood mirrors the tone of the book you’re reading.

    Click link below for Storygraph overview, which includes general rating, summary (same as above) and other reviews.

    LINK TO STORYGRAPH PROFILE

  • My Year of Rest and Relaxation

    My Year of Rest and Relaxation

    By Ottessa Moshfegh

    SPOILER-FREE

    Released 2018, 289 pages.

    Our narrator should be happy, shouldn’t she? She’s young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, works an easy job at a hip art gallery, lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like the rest of her needs, by her inheritance. But there is a dark and vacuous hole in her heart, and it isn’t just the loss of her parents, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her best friend, Reva. It’s the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong?

    Rating: 3 out of 5.

    REVIEW

    THEMES: CONTEMPORARY, TENSE, DARK, HUMOROUS, MEDIUM-PACED.

    Even with a life of comfort, she cannot seem to be happy. She lives off her dead mother’s inheritance and has the emotional support of her best friend. But still, something is missing. All that keeps her going is the pills her unorthodox psychiatrist prescribes her. Until one day, she has an insane, but brilliant epiphany.

    The protagonist in this story is nameless, hence the pronouns in the overview.

    I am not a fan of books that are heavy with mania and lack clarification or character development. At first, this book seemed to follow that bleak pattern – until Moshfegh breathes life into the plot by redirecting the story completely.

    The idea she comes up with is fascinating and rather satisfying. I am pleasantly surprised with how this story unfolds. Unfortunately, I cannot speak too much on what I like as it spoils it. What I will say, is it redeems the first half of the book.

    I do not mind a bit of cyclical depression which forces the reader to feel the protagonist’s misery. However, it drags on – it makes its point but then continues past its expiry date. I also was not a fan of the Whoopi Goldberg obsession, it felt out-of-place and silly. I can’t help but respect randomness though.

    Despite the main characters grim habits, she has a certain charm. Moshfegh paints over her dismal lifestyle with a dry humour and matter-of-fact perspective, which alleviates the bleaker elements of the book. I felt like I was able to root for the character.

    This is definitely a book for those who enjoy psychological fiction. It is like Boy Parts, but with more clarity.

    Click link below for Storygraph overview, which includes general rating, summary (same as above) and other reviews.

    LINK TO STORYGRAPH PROFILE