Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

94 reviews

chaotic_bibliophile's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence

chalbu's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Grief and Biphobia

mpurdy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

This was a devastating book about a abusive relationship. Told in fragments of memories. I loved the experimental style and thought her writing style was duper fluid. I got through this book so quickly as the chapters are short and leave you wanting to get through some of the harder sections. But it added so much to the experience because it was like you were trying to escape the relationship with her.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Physical abuse, Body horror, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Cursing

melmoony's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

A haunting and terrible tale about domestic abuse. Machado writes about her own experience being in a queer relationship and going through the ups of falling in love and finding who she really is juxtaposed with the downs of being gaslighted and abused. It read like a fever dream, each chapter a disjointed exploration of “the dream house.” I’ve never read a memoir like this and is the only book I’ve read of hers, yet you can tell she is a poet because of the lyrical style of her prose. I cannot say I enjoyed it in a true sense, but I think her writing is lyrical, her voice is unique, and that more discussions about same-sex domestic abuse and across all relationship types should be had.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse

ratwitch's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

The loss of the half star is solely because I found it disjointed and slightly hard to follow in places, although I believe that is intentional!
I've never read a memoir before, as a genre it does not interest me but I am so glad I picked this book up. It is beautiful and heart-breaking and brilliant. The formatting is so clever and used to further the story. Machado's tale isn't just told through the words, but how they are laid out. This is a topic that, as she rightfully points out, is not talked about enough and I'm so glad she used her voice to speak about it in this way.
Although I would not say I enjoyed this book, as that seems to be the incorrect word, I cannot recommend this memoir enough!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Homophobia, and Sexual assault

noveltay's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Such an incredible way to write a true story. Hard to read, harder to listen to the audiobook by the author. So sad to hear about but glad she has found as much peace as she can afterwards.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

ambamsaurus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Violence, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, and Body shaming

rieviolet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced

3.5

This book deals with an extremely important topic that needs to be voiced and discussed. That said, as a piece of work itself, I liked it so-so. 

I did not get along with the narrative structure, I found the rapid-fire succession of chapters (supposed to show different genres and narrative styles) too much disjointed and confusing. The writing style is a bit too much experimental for me.

I liked much more the chapters that were "essay-like", exploring queer history and theory. However, I think that this mixing of informative chapters together with more literary and elaborately written ones was a bit jarring, it felt like two different books mashed up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Lesbophobia, Body horror, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Animal death, Child abuse, Abandonment, Mental illness, Sexism, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Gun violence, Medical content, Drug abuse, Torture, Cursing, Car accident, Biphobia, Sexual assault, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Bullying, Transphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Suicide, and Dementia

pinkpotayto's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

This memoir resonated with me in numerous ways. The eloquence and intelligence with which Machado writes is so fucking perfect. She is real and honest in dark ways that most people are too afraid to even think even though it's such a human way of thinking. Her abuse unfolds like thorns digging into your sides, thorns you cannot reach to remove. You have to get through it though, to reassure yourself that she mentally and physically escapes the dream house. Phenomenal and powerful book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Grief, and Lesbophobia

ninaszewczyk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Alcohol and Homophobia