381 reviews for:

Enter the Body

Joy McCullough

4.01 AVERAGE

lrublaitus's review against another edition

5.0

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I’m all for interpretations and read this book with a very open mind and I think it was stunning. To each their own but as someone with a strong connection to Shakespeare and theatre in general, this was a lovely read.

andrew_the_reader's review against another edition

4.25

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

rj_novotny's review against another edition

4.0

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

antiauk's review against another edition

4.0

reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

sammieelynn's review against another edition

3.75

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

smphillips's review against another edition

3.5

dark reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

slknight13's review against another edition

5.0

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"How the violence on our bodies was accepted, yet our own desires were not." McCullough writes from her love of Shakespeare but also acknowledges the complicated and problematic portrayal of women in his plays. Imagine if many of these characters were stuck in a trapdoor below a stage sharing their stories with one another. Among the cast are that of Juliet (with a knife plunged through her chest), Ophelia (who is constantly dripping with water), Lavina (who is missing both of her hands with blood gushing out of her mouth), and Cordelia. The women are given the option to rewrite their stories where they add positive female mentors who are often missing from the plays (Ophelia's mom remains alive and Cordelia give herself an aunt). However, Lavina is unable to rely her story because her tongue and hands were removed so that her attackers (who raped her on her husband's dead body) could not be identified. I think McCullough does an amazing job with retelling violence towards women and their bodies. Her YA novel of Blood, Water, and Paint was one of the most powerful books I have ever read and it still lingers with me.

emily_b's review against another edition

4.0

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This was lovely and so impactful

rainbowteachersaurus's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

hnkunen's review against another edition

4.0

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix