Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

156 reviews

_fictionalreality's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

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

mybetzfriend's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol

iswearimliterate's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

This book is excellent, heartbreaking and full of as much tension as hope. The writing style and repeated references to fairy tales (placing the understudied world of queer relationship abuse into a timeless context) really ground it as being not only harrowing for its content, but also in the diversity of emotions that Machado can conjure. Abuse is never a straight line, full of false breakups, moments of hope, and even love, or what you’ve convinced yourself is love. Top-tier.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Pregnancy

errie's review

challenging dark

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting

ems_book_shelf's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

5.0

This book was a masterpiece. From the start, it was hard to put down. The writing is so lyrical and the way the author writes metaphors for things that can’t be put into explicit words was amazing. There were many parts of this book that dug up past my traumas, put things into words that I have been struggling to myself, and made me reflect on my own thoughts and feelings and remembrances. 

Recommending this book a million times over 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Sexual assault, Blood, and Abandonment

carmentxx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

my second reread of this book and it is just impossible to not sit and reflect on the world in tears. machado is just so incredibly talented, you feel her excruciating pain, her debasement, humiliation, the unflinching trauma of a hidden domestic abuse. in the dream house is so good because machado provides a hidden archived memory. she provides us as much of the archived memory and invited us to think about how much is hidden- in this way, a form of un-memory- we are aware of how much memory is missing because we cannot even comprehend the extent of the memory. machado’s memoir is genre breaking, a historical and literary feat because she shows us the potential of how much is missing. there is so much missing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Lesbophobia

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

one of the most beautiful written and formatted books i’ve ever read. the looming sense of dread throughout as she falls deeper into abuse was heartbreaking, yet she fills the narrative with reminders that she will be free and it will not last forever. a gorgeous memoir.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Gaslighting

mirandalikesbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

This was one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. 

The thing that sets this book apart is the way it was written. The tone feels like poetry while equally being digestible and readable. The switch between first and second person was such an interesting way to tell a story. The "I" was disconnected from the "you" but still told told a cohesive account of Machado's story. The you chapters invited the reader in to examine the parts of their reality that they are disconnected from too. 

This perspective on domestic abuse intersected with queer culture intersected with fat culture and with religious trauma is engaging and terrible and inspiring. 

A wonderful read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia

Minor: Infidelity, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

nuii's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

I like the vignette-structure of the book, it feels like listening to a friend opening up about the abuse she went through and having an intimate look into her coping/healing journey - somewhat fragmented, but showing growth and realness at the same time. 
There arent necessarilly new, profound ideas/philosophy but I did learn a few things and I appreciate the candor and bravery to tell this story, very well-written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

regent_ace's review

dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting