I love Carmen Maria Machado but this just didn’t really do it for me. There were great stories in here (the husband stitch, eight bites, real women haI love Carmen Maria Machado but this just didn’t really do it for me. There were great stories in here (the husband stitch, eight bites, real women have bodies, difficult at parties) but the bad took too much space (mothers, ESPECIALLY HEINOUS, inventory). I adore her way of integrating horror & science fiction tropes into her work - I think it makes her stories so much more original and fascinating. I also love her writing and her take on many societal issues and on the reality of the queer woman. I just could not get past the overly obscure and cryptic quality of most of these stories. While most were brilliant, I just wish they had been a tiny bit less abstract. And I will never forgive her for making me read 66 pages worth of fake law and order synopses..
Here are my (very short) reviews of each story: the husband stitch: loved it, great retelling, amazing ending that left the story up for interpretation without being too cryptic inventory: did not enjoy this one although the apocalyptic backdrop and the parallel were good - overall the premise was interesting but the execution fell a bit flat for me. mothers: too cryptic for my liking; honestly might just be that i wasn’t smart enough to “get it” but i still didn’t find it particularly insightful especially heinous: so unnecessary. so obscure for no reason. i will never watch law and order after this. if i were to rate this story I wouldn’t even give it one star. real women have bodies: loved it. fascinating concept with an overall great execution. eight bites: brilliant the resident: not my favorite but very good! difficult at parties: loved it !!!! loved the idea behind it, the themes, the ending, everything! despite this story being actually really fucking sad it is one of my favourites....more
2021 — 5☆ very thought provoking and incredibly well-written. an amazing and important memoir everyone should read. it’s the kind of book I know will 2021 — 5☆ very thought provoking and incredibly well-written. an amazing and important memoir everyone should read. it’s the kind of book I know will stick with me for a very long time.
2023 — 4☆, i specifically love carmen maria machado and her writing but what makes this memoir stand out for me is the cultural references throughout the book. i know people critique it but i think that specific blend of prose and fact adds a lot to the reading experience. im a fan of that in general. her writing and ability to appropriate the horror genre remains unmatched ! this book is a gift. i invite everyone to judge this book by its cover: it’s gorgeous....more
