Reviews

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

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bettinaab's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective

4.5

meyermz's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

fairyollie's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.25

oh wow. Her Bodies is a dark, depressing, difficult, triggering, yet beautiful and wistful read. each story is very different from the last, but with similar themes: what it is to be queer, what it is to be woman, what it is to be a queer woman, the sacrifices women make to fit in and survive in relationships and with ourselves and in society. stunningly done.

Content Warnings

ashlyngregoryy's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

anna4ce's review against another edition

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2.0

If you want a weird book to make you think, this is it. I think this book deserves 3 stars, maybe even 4 depending on what your life looks like at the time you pick it up. What I mean is, this book is incredibly, deliciously written. Machado's diction is impeccable, gorgeous, and littered with constant metaphor composing one entirely allegorical and realistic journey about women's experiences and emotions. I know, sounds like a glowing review (or at least, I hope?) but I gave it only 2 stars?! What what?! Well, I am a mom of two young kiddos and while I love being transported to different worlds via fantasy and sci-fi, this was just way too heady of a read. I would love to mull over these stories, reread them, dissect them, search the vast ends of the internet to discuss these ideas with others, but I don't have the time or brain power to commit to such an endeavor. This is a struggle to find time to decently review this! I will say that Real Women Have Bodies, Eight Bites, and Mothers all really resonated something within me. I thought the story Difficult at Parties and Inventory were well written, but didn't strike me, the Husband Stitch reminded me of horror tales in childhood, The Resident was completely discombobulating and I did actually hate Especially Heinous (the Law and Order: SVU novella in the middle). I gave up reading the SVU mumbo-jumbo because I've never seen the show and spent so much time trying to figure out if it was bits and pieces of the real show, completely made up, a parallel commentary, or what it was and then I find out it was a fantastical interpretation and rewriting of the main themes. Either way, don't watch or care about SVU, don't want to read or care about an SVU-like "retelling". So, in short (or long) pick up the book if you want something to ruminate on like in AP English. This will NOT disappoint for that purpose.

katrinapatoots's review against another edition

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3.0

the first story plagued my mind too effectively I fear, she might have started off too strong so I couldn’t help but compare the rest of the stories to the first. im sure each of the stories have their own charm but it does feel like the rest paled in comparison.