Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

202 reviews

jazhandz's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Blood, Pregnancy, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

alloftaysreads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

jashanac's review against another edition

4.5

Well. I read this in one sitting, which is not something I do often at ALL, and one of the only other times I have done so was reading Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios which is also a story of an abusive relationship. This is an experience I have unfortunately had in my own life, and I am always so hesitant/nervous to pick these types of books up, because I know I will cry at some point and be thrown back into the past, but I also clearly DEVOUR them due to how seen and validated I feel upon reading them. 

I'm a bisexual woman but who has not ever been in a relationship with a woman and my own experience of abuse was with a man, so obviously the thematic elements discussing queerness and abuse in queer relationships and especially abuse in relationships between women, is not something I can relate to -- but while everyone who experiences abuse experiences it differently, there is so much about it that is familiar. 

The structure of this memoir is definitely unique and will not be to everyone's taste. It wasn't even exactly to my taste all of the time, but any dislike I ever felt for the structure was overshadowed by the moments that struck me to my core. The scene where Machado describes

being screamed at and chased around the house by her ex, and locking herself in the bathroom while her abuser tries breaking the door down... only to come out later still crying and shaking to have her abuser say, "What's wrong? Why do you look so upset?"

made me start crying immediately. It's such a succinct way to explain the absolute mindfuckery of emotional and mental abuse -- let me terrify you and torment you and make you fearful for your safety... only to ask you why you're so upset. It makes you feel like you're living in an alternate reality Twilight Zone. 

I did feel like there were several sections that felt a bit like "fluff" that I didn't personally think added to the thematic elements enough and that were not really adding to the "here is what abuse can look like and feel like" story being told either. That and the structure not always working for me are the reasons it's not a solid 5 stars for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Homophobia and Lesbophobia

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