joppiereading's review against another edition
If this were a physical book, I would skip ahead until I got to a story that was no longer about
Spoiler
Law and OrderBut I adored the first stories, especially the story about the ribbon.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Gore, Body horror, Rape, Gaslighting, Sexism, Child death, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Death, and Body shaming
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Body shaming, Gore, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Body horror, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death, Violence, Injury/injury detail, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, Pregnancy, Medical content, Murder, Rape, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Abandonment, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Mental illness
Minor: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Incest, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Bullying, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Suicide, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, and Child abuse
Illness outbreak, epidemic ("Inventory"). Unreality ("Especially Heinous"). Insects ("Eight Bites," "The Resident"). Illness ("The Resident").booksnbones13's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Dysphoria, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Eating disorder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Rape, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, and Murder
itsheyfay's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, Eating disorder, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Blood, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Vomit
Minor: Domestic abuse, Vomit, Physical abuse, and Sexism
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Self harm, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Sexism, Blood, Drug use, Homophobia, Child abuse, and Child death
The first story, The Husband Stitch, has depictions of underage sex; the second story, Inventory, also describes sexual interactions between minors. Inventory and Mothers depict relationships with questionable age gaps.brookesinfinitebooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I would absolutely recommend this book because it’s an incredible examination of modern femininity and sexuality. However, I highly suggest you check out content warnings first. There were several stories that affected me more than I expected, and many trigger points. I had to take this one very slow, in small doses. Which works perfectly for a short story collection - I read one story every few days.
These stories are definitely going to stick with me for a while. A few I particularly enjoyed: Mothers; Real Women Have Bodies; The Inventory.
Graphic: Sexual content and Mental illness
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Child death, Mental illness, and Child abuse
ejr1904's review
3.25
I wanted so desperately to fall in love with all of these tales, but only a couple of them resonated. The Inventory was sensational and the ribbon was a really fascinating modernized version of urban legend. It was dark and nostalgic.
I felt like the SVU story missed the mark. It was long, over imagined, and was difficult to track. I was most excited for that, but I was neither moved by the meaning nor the prose.
Her writing is impactful and the subject matter is crucial, I was just left with wanting a bit more.
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Dysphoria, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence
jojo_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Bullying, Child death, Gore, and Rape
bella_cavicchi's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
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.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Eating disorder, and Body horror
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Body shaming
thewritebooks's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Sexual content