Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

234 reviews

winterdevil's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

4.0

 A cleverly structured memoir reflecting on abuse in a lesbian relationship—each chapter in the story is a different genre or concept with its own convention and angle.

The ending, however, felt rushed and less "complete" for lack of a better word. There are a few moments in recounting the abusive relationship where Machado says that she doesn't know how she'll learn to trust a lover again, how she'll grow comfortable in her body, how she'll let anyone touch her. Then the relationship ends, and suddenly she just does all those things all in the same chapter without reflecting on how or why. It's especially stark because she doesn't ever make a choice to walk away from the relationship (and I understand why, but if you aren't choosing to leave, the choice is made for you, and you stumble onto someone else's lips, we never actually see her regain agency on the page). She kisses someone and then marries someone else, but we don't hear anything about how she got from point A to point B emotionally. And I wouldn't expect it at all if she hadn't brought up how difficult it would be in the first place.

Especially since her craft in the beginning 85% was so meticulous and well-written, the end felt unpolished by comparison, like she was tired and just wanted to get it done. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

_chonklord_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting

lisa_mirabai's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

cryptidcas's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape

nilarcana's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault

carolshere's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Sexual assault

aprilsf's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

sebs_gaybooks's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

bawling. my. eyes. out

reread 2023
This book. It truly pulls me apart every single time. This is the first reread since I picked it up in 2021, and man did it just strengthen my admiration for Machado and her writing. Told through chapters of varying lengths, using literary tropes, themes, techniques and types to explore the horrors of an abusive relationship. I found myself mentioning texts, references, lines from this book in my life, bringing it up in discussions because I could not get it out of my head. Bringing to the forefront the fight for queer lives to be placed in the same humanistic lens as hetero relationships, so people can come out and speak about abuse at the hands or minds of their queer lovers. 

A feel like a personal thanks is required, from me to Machado, because as I read this and reflected on my queer relationships (platonic or romantic), I began to realise the sort of conditioning I'd be forced into by the queer community. The idea that the only people capable of abuse (in any form) was men. That women couldn't possibly be able to hurt one another. There's a lot of nuance to this discussion that Machado so expertly lays out, placing it delicately at my feet and asking me to examine it, closely. And with compassion, she pushes these thoughts into the readers hearts to examine in themselves what we believe about queer relationships. Because the very people who raged against the man and their power, were the people who hurt me, emotionally manipulated me, hurt me in ways they swore couldn't be true. Because what? We're queer? We're human, queer humans, capable of hurting. 

I'm so glad this memoir exists; Machado will forever be a safe space for me to come back to when I feel like my experiences aren't valid. I can take her words and wrap them around me, because if anything, she understands. And I will be forever grateful for that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

savvy999's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

5.0

 Carmen Maria Machado has crafted a Brutal, innovative and subtle narrative as she bends and adapts form to tell her story in a way  that strikes at the heart of the reader. It is gripping and incredible. 

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Sexual assault

cereads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, and Alcohol