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arbramirez's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Stalking, Rape, Medical trauma, Grief, Domestic abuse, Child death, Blood, Sexual assault, Infertility, Incest, Drug use, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Hate crime, Sexual content, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Kidnapping
alexiconic's review against another edition
If this were a physical book, I would skip ahead until I got to a story that was no longer about
But I adored the first stories, especially the story about the ribbon.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Gore, Body horror, Rape, Gaslighting, Sexism, Child death, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Death, and Body shaming
k_aro's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I think the one that rang most closely was "Eight Bodies", especially given that it came right after reading I'm Glad My Mom Died, a lot of which revolves around McCurdy's eating disorder (that has to do with her mom and how they are mirrors of each other). And also recently listening to Lucy Dacus' "My Mother and I". I've had a lot to think about with regards to me and my mom - especially since I've been away from her for a long time, now, when compared to the rest of my life. I also think about Rayne Fisher-Quann's Tiktok about being thankful for having mommy bloggers to see that moms truly do have lives that exist beyond their children, and how so often when you become a mother it seems to become the hinge of your life.
Especially since "Eight Bodies" is written from the painful perspective of a mother and a daughter who'll never really see eye to eye. It's painful, to simultaneously be the mirror of your mother but also to hate it. It's weird.
That aside, Machado is also a beautiful author, with the prose flowing as smooth as butter. Also, this book is so horny. And that's great. Maybe I'll read it again and appreciate it better the second time!
Graphic: Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Medical content, Police brutality, Self harm, Cursing, Eating disorder, Grief, Infidelity, Violence, and Murder