A review by imaginary_space
Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

Unfortunately, I found this collection to be very inconsistent. It has great stories and stories I didn't like, which came down to length and pacing. Some were just too long and I think the book could have profited from a little more editing. Most of the stories would have had more impact if they were shorter, I think.

The Husband Stitch
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Really liked it. The description of everyday activities with this constant tension made it memorable.

Inventory
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Seeing a catastrophie unfold from a purely introspective perspective was really new and interesting for me.

Mothers
⭐⭐ - Unfortunately, too long for me and motherhood isn't really my topic.

Especially Heinous / Season 5 / Season 8
⭐ - I think this was 2 or 3 separate stories, but they all go together. Unfortunately I skipped them, they were too long, too detailed and too incoherent for me to listen to.

Real Women Have Bodies
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Really liked this one, maybe a tad too long.

8 Bites
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Loved it! Very unsettling, very relevant, very creepy.

The Resident
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the atmosphere of the story.

Difficult at Parties
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Very interesting and impactful concept.