Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

48 reviews

hmoog's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No

3.0

really well written book, but really hard emotionally to read and get into. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Misogyny, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Sexism, Rape, Body horror, and Gore

lancemama's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Rape, Misogyny, Sexism, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child death, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Gore, and Death

Minor: Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Addiction, Abandonment, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Confinement

downcircles's review

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a wonderful book! I found for me it was best to read the stories individually and put the book down after so I had time to reflect on the themes and messages. The stories vary in how straight forward their themes are (and wether I personally got something out of them) and I wouldn't reccomend this for people who are just getting into this sort of wrapped up in several layers sort of societal commentary. But if you like that sort of thing definitely worth a try. This book uniquely made me want to seek out other people's views and analysis of the indivual stories and I gained a great deal more appreciation for the book this way. If you have someone else who likes this sort of thing and is willing to discuss their interpretations give it a go! (also my favorite is still "the husband stitch) 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexism, and Sexual violence

sarah_hutchins's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, and Blood

Minor: Sexual harassment, Cursing, Animal death, Eating disorder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Homophobia, Medical content, Self harm, Violence, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

joensign's review

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Death, and Rape

lizzyjean's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This book of short stories is astounding. Each story was so unique and thought-provoking, and I fell in love with each page. Each story may need a bit of reflection and analysis in order to grasp the story, but that is something I love to do, so I didn’t mind. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexism, and Misogyny

Minor: Sexual violence

At least two stories contain themes of toxic relationships, one focusing on misogynistic behavior. One story revolves around an epidemic, many stories contain sexual themes and content, one story has a brief moment of sexual violence/assault.

undecidedpersonality's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Pandemic/Epidemic, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Blood, Misogyny, and Self harm

Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Lesbophobia

snazzy10101's review

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse

seventhswan's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

The Husband Stitch: 3.5/5. Well-written, but I don't think this should have been the first story in the collection - as a retelling, I knew the ending before it arrived, and the whole thing read a little like it was made to be dissected in an advanced creative writing class.

Inventory: 5/5. This story genuinely terrified me, and I didn't previously think I could be scared of a horror story in the same way films sometimes scare me. 

Mothers: 4/5. While it didn't grip me in the same way as Inventory, I still really liked this story, especially considering how short it was.

Especially Heinous: 100000000/5. I can't say anything in a review because all of it would be spoilers but it was SO GOOD and I stared at the wall for a good hour after reading it.

Real Women Have Bodies: 3.5/5, another one where the point felt a bit laboured and took away from the horror slightly, but the characters were interesting and the premise unique.

Eight Bites: 3/5. After so many incredible stories, this one was quite underwhelming, and I wasn't quite sure what the ending was saying. Most of this story read just like a magazine article about weight loss.

The Resident: 2/5, I didn't get along with this one, it felt like it was trying too hard and was too long.

Difficult at Parties: 5/5. The girls who get it get it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Body horror

yinflower's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexism, and Animal death

Minor: Rape