Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh (2015)
A dark story about a young woman seeking a better life.
Laura’s Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
Plot: Eileen, now an older adult using a different name, describes her experiences from years ago when she was 24. She works at a juvenile correctional facility for boys and cares for her alcoholic father at their chaotic home. When the enchanting Rebecca starts a job at the prison, Eileen sees her as a way out of her dreary, unfulfilling life.
Analysis: This is honestly quite unpleasant to read. There are uncomfortable thoughts and actions from the main character and others. The book is rather sad and depressing, while also being uneventful and slow until near the end. This “thriller” has a single shocking moment and is otherwise a build up to not much of anything.
I did enjoy the audiobook narrator, but that’s a compliment to her, not the book. Eileen is being made into a movie, but I’m not sure I’ll see it. I don’t recommend the book.
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