Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado

200 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

racheltrow_'s review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Sexual violence, and Homophobia

kiatlyns's review against another edition

Well-written, but I went in blind (book club book) and the events detailed in this book are perfect mixture of my worst nightmares that I would prefer not to relive. If DV, toxic poly situationships, or same-sex DV are any of your triggers I would not recommend you read this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Infidelity and Fatphobia

Minor: Lesbophobia and Biphobia

_fictionalreality's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Bullying, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

t0astghost's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective tense fast-paced

4.25

Beautiful metaphors. I picked up this book not exactly knowing what to expect, other than knowing it talked about a queer woman's experience with domestic abuse. It was a great read, and the author paints their life very well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Lesbophobia and Homophobia

acorny's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Homophobia and Lesbophobia

sarah_hutchins's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Biphobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

cheyennedowls's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Violence

Minor: Lesbophobia

hfleur's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Homophobia

Minor: Biphobia and Lesbophobia

jessmbark's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Cursing, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Biphobia, and Homophobia