Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

165 reviews

cjblates's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting

nowjamie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

vicanarc_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

4.25

Ci ho messo un po' a entrare nello spirito del libro, ma una volta entrata, non si riesce ad uscire.
I capitoli sono brevi, a volte sono lunghi 1,2 pagine, e ti lasciano la voglia di andare avanti.
Il senso di trappola, confusione, paura di una relazione tossica è perfettamente rappresentato, mescolato ad aneddoti storici legati alla rappresentazione queer e alla violenza in coppie non eteronormate.
Mi sono affeziona a Carmen Maria Machado, e credo che questo sia uno di quei libri che riletti sono ancora più belli, perché puoi cogliere i segnali, capire meglio cosa è successo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexual violence

Minor: Lesbophobia

thosemedalingkids's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

finch77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Drug use

agent_of_chaos's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting

Minor: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

han__turner's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

cianarae's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I read this entire book in one sitting and could not put it down. It’s beautiful, tragic, splintered, poetic, visceral, unique. I loved the references to movies and books throughout that really gave context to the author’s thoughts and experiences. I want to share this book with everyone I know!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Dementia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

e_reader's review against another edition

emotional inspiring tense fast-paced

5.0

I loved this book so so much. Machado has such a way with words, and you can tell. Memoir is pretty far out of my comfort zone, but this book put me right at ease. The concept is so created, and masterfully crafts a story depicting her life with The Woman in the Dream House (as Machado calls her). I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys reading about queer history, domestic violence through a queer lense, or just anyone looking for a book that departs from the typical memoir style. I would give this book 6 stars if I could! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

atmreads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I know I already listed the trigger warnings above, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to take those seriously. This book is dark, intense, emotional, and deals A LOT with trauma and traumatizing events. I cannot in good conscious recommend this book without telling all of you to keep in mind these trigger warnings and do what is mentally healthy for you.

I just need to say that I LOVED this book. It is incredibly well written, creatively told, and exquisitely presented. This novel is told through a series of vignettes, each one focusing on a different event told through the lense of a different trope. And my god it was such an immersive way to tell the story! Simply reading the header of “Dream House as ____” immediately had me intrigued.

Next, the themes. I know themes are often discussed in the context of works of fiction, but this novel had such great themes despite being someone’s real life. The focus on how abuse within LGBTQ+ relationships is often dismissed because “how could a woman abuse another woman??” I think that highlighting that abuse is not homogeneous and can happen in any relationship of any kind is a really important message to give. And to hear the perspective of someone caught in an abusive relationship who felt trapped with no way out is incredibly important, because I think many people, whether consciously or not, have this idea that if you’re in a bad situation you should just leave. It’s not that simple but to hear and see someone’s real, lived in experience is SO important.

Lastly, the lasting impact. This is a book that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. This book had me crying at 1 am and 1 pm, it had me thinking deeply about what Machado was saying. This is a book I’ll take with me through life, one that I’ll look back to as a distinct point in time. It is truly a work of art.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship