Scan barcode
chels_ro's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Homophobia and Infidelity
tenderbench's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Vomit
wothmings's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia
jang's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
rebeccaquinton's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting
wardenred's review against another edition
5.0
Places are never just places in a piece of writing. If they are, the author has failed. Setting is not inert. It is activated by point of view.
This was a really difficult read for me, mostly because of the subject matter. The other did an excellent job conveying how it feels to be living in an abusive relationship: the visceral lack of safety, the walking on eggshells, the losing touch with what's real about your own self. This is a prime example of why memoirs as a genre fascinate me: I can't imagine how brave a person must be to write about these experiences so candidly.
The narrative isn't quite linear, just like both the recovery from this sort of trauma and the trajectories of getting into this sort of situations are never quite linear. The whole book reads almost as a collection of essays or journal entries, but they do form a complete story of a terrible, awful, no good relationship. There are a lot of metaphors and similes here, and the prose is flowery and lush; in some ways, all of that provides a kind of barrier between what's being described and the reader, but in other ways, it makes the subject matter hit harder.
I don't expect to ever re-read this book, because getting exposed to some things once is perfectly enough, but I believe it will live rent-free in my head for a while. Especially the part about fantasizing about death because you forget just leaving is possible. Or the cockroaches in the clock. Or that poor snail. Or the phone that call that wasn't, after all, a break-up. Or, or, or.
And I've also written out a number of quotes, because damn, the prose here is so unfairly beautiful, with those perfectly placed words, and the rhythm, and the alliterations. I wish I was capable of crafting sentences like that.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
newsboyhat's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Toxic relationship
enyltiak's review against another edition
5.0
- “!!! genuinely so good. i didn’t realize it was in 2nd person (or, well mostly anyway) and honestly how did i not see that coming. just Works. i don’t think i finished all the stories in her body and other parties but even so, as much as i was enjoying that i feel like this is even better! also noted the way that even chapters focused outside of “her” are still “dream house as…” painting this representation draped over the whole thing of how this relationship has reflected on/effected her whole life reaching backwards”
- “genre defying and unique and yet makes perfect sense. of course [a memoir] should be written this way. why would it be any different? you can see she is SUCH a skilled writer. i can’t wait to see a novel from her. like holy shit, can you imagine?”
- “i get lost in the pov shifts and it’s all one. its me and you and her and wow. also the footnotes !!!!!!! i am not coherent but wow”
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
kylarcahalan's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Homophobia
nataliegoodman13's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Homophobia and Lesbophobia