Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Στο σπίτι των ονείρων by Carmen Maria Machado

1491 reviews

rachaelcandoit's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This story is heartbreaking and beautiful. I'm in love with the way this book is structured and written. There were many times I stopped and was absolutely struck by it, genuinely. 

This memoir is also so incredibly important. As a queer person, I'm thankful that work like this exists and hope it can bring awareness to others.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Animal death

jazhandz's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Blood, Pregnancy, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

smm122132's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

So beautifully written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse

Moderate: Fatphobia

freedomofchoys's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

This is one of my favorite books I've ever read. The writing is poetic, haunting and incredibly innovative. I found the short, vignette style chapters engrossing and the way the story was presented incredibly beautiful and immersive. This book was a haunting and beautiful portrayal of a queer, abusive relationship but shows the more subtle side of domestic abuse and does a great job of showing the trauma that comes from emotional, psychological abuse that is not as often portrayed in media. Carmen did a lot of research into domestic abuse, especially abuse in queer relationships and it was not only entertaining, but also informative. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

kadoatie's review against another edition

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Biphobia, Body shaming, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Fatphobia

lpogo16's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Machado had a lot of courage in talking about her story and a lot of heart in telling the story of other queer women. This book really opened my eyes to a topic I never thought to look at head on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Bullying, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Rape, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Murder, Violence, Child abuse, Body shaming, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Vomit, Dementia, Blood, Cursing, and Confinement

The vibe of this book is really sad. The energy is very depressing though it does take a hopefully turn at the end.

alloftaysreads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

erdbeermus's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

jashanac's review against another edition

4.5

Well. I read this in one sitting, which is not something I do often at ALL, and one of the only other times I have done so was reading Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios which is also a story of an abusive relationship. This is an experience I have unfortunately had in my own life, and I am always so hesitant/nervous to pick these types of books up, because I know I will cry at some point and be thrown back into the past, but I also clearly DEVOUR them due to how seen and validated I feel upon reading them. 

I'm a bisexual woman but who has not ever been in a relationship with a woman and my own experience of abuse was with a man, so obviously the thematic elements discussing queerness and abuse in queer relationships and especially abuse in relationships between women, is not something I can relate to -- but while everyone who experiences abuse experiences it differently, there is so much about it that is familiar. 

The structure of this memoir is definitely unique and will not be to everyone's taste. It wasn't even exactly to my taste all of the time, but any dislike I ever felt for the structure was overshadowed by the moments that struck me to my core. The scene where Machado describes

being screamed at and chased around the house by her ex, and locking herself in the bathroom while her abuser tries breaking the door down... only to come out later still crying and shaking to have her abuser say, "What's wrong? Why do you look so upset?"

made me start crying immediately. It's such a succinct way to explain the absolute mindfuckery of emotional and mental abuse -- let me terrify you and torment you and make you fearful for your safety... only to ask you why you're so upset. It makes you feel like you're living in an alternate reality Twilight Zone. 

I did feel like there were several sections that felt a bit like "fluff" that I didn't personally think added to the thematic elements enough and that were not really adding to the "here is what abuse can look like and feel like" story being told either. That and the structure not always working for me are the reasons it's not a solid 5 stars for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Homophobia and Lesbophobia

rheawhea's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Carmen Maria Machado's In the Dream House is elusive and defiant in so many ways. Packaged as "memoir" yet it clearly chucks the idea of it solely as one when it sits in a genre limbo. Machado researches and comes up against evidence of queer domestic abuse similar to her own experience yet the world still gets confused, and at times even downright refuses, the idea of a woman inflicting abuse on their partner, another woman. I, myself, marvel at all the feelings this book has evoked in me--stomach churning fear, relief, confusion, surprise, confusion again, bewilderment, not wanting to read on but simultaneously not wanting to flinch and unable to look away. Despite the stew of confusion and seeming half-formed understanding, it was clear very early on that this book is a 5 star, that Machado is a brilliant writer, and that I will not be able to not think about this book for a long time. Also, that I will reread this one day. It's like the thrill of reading horror or watching it and its effects after it's over, the inescapable haunting: what will I see/imagine/hear/dream up once I close my eyes?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse