Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

308 reviews

yeetith_and_yoinketh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This book was absolutely terrifying to read and it was eye-opening. Carmen Maria Machado threw linear timelines and regular memoirs out the window. Instead of the memoirs I am used to reading, which always feel just a little bit shallow and inauthentic, this one really shows you the very essence of Miss Machado.

With moments before, after, and during the abusive relationship inside the Dream House, along with little memories, studies, and key life experiences, it really feels like we have been given the privilege of wandering around her soul. That being said, I don't want to make light of the fact that she was in an abusive relationship and that she was trapped inside. This book is beautifully haunting to read, but I want to make you understand that this is not something to be romanticized for a book review.

 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Lesbophobia and Gaslighting

Minor: Drug abuse

leichamoo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

aus10england's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.0

jesus fking christ

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Alcohol

lorenag5's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

angievansprang's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Wow. This book was written in such a unique short-snippet style that I have not seen before in a memoir. Machado is a masterful wordsmith, even when telling a devastating tale. Parts of this book resonated with me a lot, I think I will need to sit with it more before making a truly complete review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Mental illness, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Body shaming

saucy_bookdragon's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

Machado's memoir is beautiful and brave, using creative a creative style in order to tell her story of abuse in a relationship with another woman.

Abuse among queer women is often overlooked and this book seeks remedy that with its portrayal of a real relationship and anecdotes about how queer people are expected to be better than cishet people in order to deserve rights, even though in reality we're human and humans are messy. I liked how Machado didn't just stick to her own story and also discussed the history of abuse cases between women and how lesbian rights movements dealt with it, adding to the educational element of the book.

The prose really elevates the story, making it feel more stream of conscious. This helped highlight the emotions one feels when dealing with abuse as Machado shows how she feels rather than tells. For example, Machado never refers to her abuser by name but rather as "the woman in the dream house." This makes her abuser feel inhuman which is a very real feeling victims can have and ties the abuse to a specific place which showcases how PTSD is often tied to physical places. Along with the stream of consciousness, the story is disjointed purposely. Leaping from memories about the relationship to synopses of TV show episodes that work as metaphors on abuse to history about queer women and abuse. This worked well for the vibes but at times made the narrative difficult to follow and understand.

In the Dream House is going on my list of powerful memoirs I'd recommend and by far one of the most creative I've read! I'd especially recommend it for people interested in learning about domestic abuse (especially what it's like between queer women) and the trauma it causes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Lesbophobia

kellybobelly96's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.5

This book is important to read and at times, difficult to read. I appreciated the representation of a queer relationship that is usually hidden. This book reminded me of something I would read on my Women Gender Studies class in college - something that will stick with me but while reading often felt over my head. I didn't expect the memoir to be driven by literary and cultural analysis, but I recognize there was a poetic significance to everything being said. I would recommend to anyone who is willing to think critically and open yourself to a story that is more common than we would like.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

jordynkw's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

squidknees's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Abandonment