Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

94 reviews

cassielaj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

One of the best books I’ve ever read. Don’t get me wrong, this story is heart-wrenching and awful, but the way Machado writes about her experiences is nothing short of genius. I learned, I felt, I gaped — at some parts in horror, at others in awe. Truly stunning in every sense. A chilling, tense, emotional genre-bending memoir

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Cursing, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

decoincidenza's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Violence, Fatphobia, and Sexual content

Minor: Biphobia

rayannotates's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

i have never so easily given a book five stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Bullying

Moderate: Rape, Homophobia, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Blood

winterdevil's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

4.0

 A cleverly structured memoir reflecting on abuse in a lesbian relationship—each chapter in the story is a different genre or concept with its own convention and angle.

The ending, however, felt rushed and less "complete" for lack of a better word. There are a few moments in recounting the abusive relationship where Machado says that she doesn't know how she'll learn to trust a lover again, how she'll grow comfortable in her body, how she'll let anyone touch her. Then the relationship ends, and suddenly she just does all those things all in the same chapter without reflecting on how or why. It's especially stark because she doesn't ever make a choice to walk away from the relationship (and I understand why, but if you aren't choosing to leave, the choice is made for you, and you stumble onto someone else's lips, we never actually see her regain agency on the page). She kisses someone and then marries someone else, but we don't hear anything about how she got from point A to point B emotionally. And I wouldn't expect it at all if she hadn't brought up how difficult it would be in the first place.

Especially since her craft in the beginning 85% was so meticulous and well-written, the end felt unpolished by comparison, like she was tired and just wanted to get it done. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Biphobia, and Body shaming

cemeterygay's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

5.0

I cannot sing the praises of this book enough, It is such a hauntingly thorough retelling of the author's experience with domestic violence. I adored the greater structural analysis of Intimate Partner Violence and how it relates to homophobia, biphobia, and lesbophobia and how the author made sure to connect her story to the stories of many IPV survivors in the community. I cannot praise enough how much care and sensitivity was taken to the issues discussed in this book. I definitely don't think the author's writing style is for everyone as it can be very experimental at times but I personally adored it. 

If you are looking for an unusual exploration into domestic violence in queer relationships, I could not recommend this enough

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, and Vomit

Minor: Eating disorder, Blood, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Additional CW: Sexual abuse, assault, grooming, emotionally abusive parents,

ktkeps's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Sexism

hannibanani29's review

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexual content

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Drug use, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Grief

Minor: Animal death, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Biphobia, Blood, Cancer, Car accident, Dementia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

bethsbooketlist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 - I am so glad I caught the review of this book on instagram as it just captured my interest completely and got me actively seeking this book for my shelves. I was captivated from page one and throughout Carmen's raw openness and thought processes just kept me reading. I haven't read a memoir like this before, the way she casts her eye over different things through the lens of her own experience. The subject matter of queer domestic abuse, particularly female on female, is a subject matter I have never seen actively written about in such intricacy and depth, and I am glad Carmen had the strength to open this conversation wide into the world. Because why is it so I comprehensible that abuse in a lesbian relationship can and indeed does happen, just like any relationship between two people regardless of gender. A thought provoking read that i whole heartedly recommend - I will be seeking out more of Carmen's recommendations as I feel this is a subject matter whose surface has only just been scratched! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Violence, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Infidelity, and Emotional abuse

toffishay's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

What an amazing, powerful, interesting, and informative read. The formatting of this book pulls you in, with each "chapter" representing the story of this relationship from a different literary genre or device. I read this book so quickly and you are pulling in with every word. It is certainly emotional and I teared up more than once. This is a memoir about domestic abuse, so I would certainly look up trigger warnings. But, I find this to have been such a valuable and engaging reading experience that I absolutely have to recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Violence, Alcohol, Biphobia, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Vomit, Torture, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts

sammyb's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Homophobia