Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado- 3 stars

[Jen K]

Machado's short story collection is distinctive. I'm not sure I've read anything like it. Her stories somehow mix feminism with horror and fantasy, mental health, desire and a focus on the female body. They are dark but thoughtful. Her first story was possibly the strongest about a couple who meet when young and have a somewhat mutually happy and satisfying relationship except for the ribbon around the woman's neck which she will not let the husband touch. This one little thing held back from the man gets in the way of everything and unravels the relationship. The one on SVU started somewhat interesting but it was just too long and short on transitions to fully satisfy. After all the fantastical and magical aspects of many stories, the one about a woman getting Bariatric surgery after watching her sisters lose so much weight though seen by her daughter a personal offense is disturbing in its reality. Why do women mutilate their bodies for societal acceptance? The goal didn't seem to be for better health.

Overall, I was fascinated if occasionally a bit confused by the stories. While all interesting and I enjoyed the messages, I'm not sure I any particularly stand out for a reread or recommendation. However as a whole, Machado does have a powerful voice and message.

[Joi]

I've had this one on my radar a while, but the format has me always skipping it for something else.