Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado

8 reviews

klsreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

In the Dream House is a masterpiece. Told in vignettes structured around literature tropes, this memoir follows the rise and fall of a profoundly abusive relationship. Machado is brave, vulnerable, and unflinchingly honest as she exposes the abuse she suffered across a 2 year relationship with another woman. She asks: if we view queer relationships as utopia divorced from patriarchy and hierarchy, are we being homophobic? Are lesbians not humans - complex, hurting, and capable of inflicting extreme harm? If we flatten a group of people into a monolith, we dehumanize them. This book is a necessary addition to the growing work on the incidence of abuse in queer relationships.

I've never read anything quite like this - I loved the vignette narrative structure. The book moved quickly because most sections were short. A couple of the tropes dragged on for me/didn't hit 100%, but I was enthralled and could hardly put it down. A few standouts for me - "Dream House as Deja Vu" (x3), "Dream House as Queer Villainy" (!!!), "Dream House as Bluebeard", "Dream House as the River Lethe", "Dream House as Choose Your Own Adventure" ...... ok, I have to stop or I'm going to quote half of this work.

Even more wild: I was in Iowa City as an undergrad during the events of this book. Did I see Carmen and the Woman from the Dream House at a coffee shop, at Obama's speech, in a bookstore? It makes me shiver, the ways people suffer out of view.

Brilliant. Carmen Maria Machado is an absolute force and a genius of prose and innovative structure. I HIGHLY recommend this book, but mind the CW's. Machado doesn't shy away from the gore at the heart of her story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Grief, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Blood, Violence, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, and Sexual content

Moderate: Biphobia, Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gun violence

talking_heads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

squidknees's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Alcoholism, Self harm, Bullying, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Cursing, and Blood

chaotic_bibliophile's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence

sunbeam_reader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

One of the most amazing book I read in  2021. Absolutely would recommend to anyone, especially sapphic folks. However, PLEASE read TW/CW for this book it deals with really heavy stuff that may be triggering.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Self harm, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Sexual assault, Violence, and Rape

This book deals entirely with domestic abuse in sapphic relationships.

rachaelallyn's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence

jmcordero's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Infidelity, and Self harm

Minor: Lesbophobia, Outing, and Medical content

kylajaynebooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

5 stars is not a high enough rating. This book was haunting, heart-wrenching, depressing, aggravating and beautifully written. This book made me slam it shut and start scream sobbing, this book made me reflect on my own relationships, this book made me feel every single emotion. I read this book in one sitting it was absolutely PERFECT and so so necessary. Please read it if you're able to, be mindful of all of the content warnings please it is by no means an easy read.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit