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4.52 AVERAGE
4.52 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
one paragraph into this book and i knew that its words would speak to me within my bones. after having felt each and every one of these vignettes (because honestly, i'm not sure i can call the experience of taking in this book reading) i know that to be true. there are phrases and words in here that fall together like poetry, but the abstraction is always grounded in its harsh, difficult story. it measures pain like very few other things can, and i doubt even in rereading this ten times over if i would run out of ways it forms itself inside my head. as she calls it, the 'inversion of the gestalt' is a glaring success of this book, and i truly believe one could come back to any single chapter again and again and take something new away each time; i know i will. i wish that i could explain it better, but at the same time, i understand why many people find it difficult to talk about this coherently. the way this speaks of being a woman, of being queer, of being a queer woman, of being a cuban-american queer woman, all of what comes with these identities spilling over into one another and her efforts at attempting to isolate them - all of them are so achingly real. many have called the prose exquisite, and there is no denying that. the entire construction of this book is, really. if you're feeling up to it, please pick it up. it's gut punches and soft strokes of your hair and the quiet after a draining but productive conversation all at once.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
This was heartbreaking and lovely.
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
I love this book. Do yourslef a favor and read the physical book copy first. I listened to this about a year after my first reading, and I also love hearing it from the author's own voice. I find her very pleasant to listen to.
This reminded me a lot of my past relationships, many stories sounding so eerily familiar I could have sworn they were my own memories.
This reminded me a lot of my past relationships, many stories sounding so eerily familiar I could have sworn they were my own memories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
“…art has always had a balancing effort on your mind; it is a reminder that you are more than a body and its accompanying grief.”
I didn’t know how badly I was craving a book to mark up until I read this one. Machado’s words were potent and delicious and I devoured this book in one bite.
I didn’t know how badly I was craving a book to mark up until I read this one. Machado’s words were potent and delicious and I devoured this book in one bite.
This is a very important story acknowledging the terrors of abusive relationships. Machado speaks poetically about her own experiences, using metaphor and simile to emphasize the state of mind she was in during this difficult period; all of this without losing the realism and authenticity of the story. She is a beautiful writer and I am very glad I picked up this book.