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dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Gore, Mental illness, Rape
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Sexism, Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Blood, Vomit
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Sexual content, Terminal illness
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some of the stories in this collection are stronger than others but they're all extremely compelling. I never thought I would love and marvel over story that was essentially Law and Order fanfiction or feel disturbed by an artist's retreat but this book had it all. Her Body and Other Parties is a smooth, sexual, sometimes horrifying, always contemplative read. It's full of the complex thoughts of women going through fantastical and realistic terrors with equal depth of response. Each story leaves its ending wide open, which was startling and even disappointing in some instances but it forced me to sit and think a long time between them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Body horror, Sexual violence
Minor: Mental illness
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Machado's writing is gorgeous and all-consuming - you know you've read a good book when your heart doesn't sit properly in your chest afterwards.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Gore
Minor: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual violence
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i loved some of these stories, some of them went over my head, which i think is actually an excellent statement towards what it means to be a woman. we are not monoliths. yes, we share experiences, but not all, and even the same experience can have vastly different effects. excited to read this authors other works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content, Sexual violence
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Machado's words are like silk, woven with such grace that I'm convinced she can make even the most mundane of household chores sound beautiful. That said, this collection as a whole was a bit of a mixed bag for me -- I LOVED some stories, while I slogged through others ("Especially Heinous" was one I found particularly long.)
I still recommend, if only for the experience of Machado's gorgeous words and her commentary on women's bodies in a society that chooses to look away and look down on them.
I still recommend, if only for the experience of Machado's gorgeous words and her commentary on women's bodies in a society that chooses to look away and look down on them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Death
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Body shaming