Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

337 reviews

readbycarina's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

seventhswan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I was slightly sceptical that this memoir could really be as good as everyone says it is, though not for any particular reason - I don't have any personal connection to the subject matter, and picked it up mostly because it's so highly rated and because I enjoyed Her Body and Other Parties. 

It is *incredible*. Knowing ahead of time how it ended didn't stop me from being in tears by page 27 and racing to finish it. There's nothing I can say about the quality of the writing that hasn't already been said better by other people, but I will say that this was a borderline life-changing read, and that I'd recommend it to anyone. 

"My plot twist, my fate, my fairytale ending... I'd do it all again, baby. It brought me you."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexual content

bebidocrimes's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5

This feels like it should be required reading for every young queer person. It really expresses the importance of breaking the utopian lense with which we regard queer relationships. It feels especially poignant to me as someone who sees herself as less desirable and has accepted whatever attention she could get in the past. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

pantrat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

unknowncoco's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship

alexijai98's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

5.0

Beautifully written and a modern classic of queer writing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity

christina85's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol

Moderate: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Cursing

getlitwithamy_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

In this hauntingly stunning memoir, Carmen Maria Machado shows how sometimes there are villains who appear unlike the ones we know

Psychological abuse is jarring and very hard to recover from. Machado uses her experience to accurately portray the reality of being stuck in such a relationship. I felt as if we were one in the same at times (even though my abuser was an old friend)

Her personal journey and interwoven anecdotes from outside sources/stories like the movie “Gaslight” worked generously in Machado’s favor. She was able to successfully use these to show how not all abuse is violent. This proves how strong of a writer she is, along with her prose and scene building 

Carmen Maria Machado was very brave in telling her story, as it is difficult beyond belief to open up about such a story when not everyone will believe you 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

shmegsreadz's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

a mournful, gutting, soaring reprise of abuse in a lesbian relationship. as a lesbian, neoteric and unwilted, this is the most important book i have read in some time. i am forever grateful to machado for offering me insight into something i’m sure i would never be able to understand unless i lived through the experience, “you can be hurt by people who look just like you. not only can it happen, it probably will, because the world is full of hurt people who hurt people. even if the dominant culture considers you an anomaly, that doesn’t mean you can’t be common, common as fucking dirt,” (232). her prose is warm and every metaphor, reference, and motif is expertly tied to her point. what a beautiful thing; “book” feels like an underscore. this is advice and vulnerability. i will treasure my copy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Vomit

good_names_dont_exist's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.75

Second person perspective, if you don’t like don’t read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Biphobia

Minor: Adult/minor relationship