Machado sheds light on what it's like to be in an abusive queer relationship in a very honest way that manages to be heartwrenching all the same. Grappling with the fact that you're being abused by a member of your own community, by another woman, another wlw - it hits hard; Machado's writing brought me to tears multiple times in this 5-or-so hour audiobook. The story plays with many tropes as it unfolds, with each chapter being titled "dream house as [insert plot device or trope here]" and while the author's voice remains strong throughout, this allows her to approach the fact of her abusive relationship through different angles and lenses, almost as if she's making sense of it as it happens - like abuse victims often do. 

As someone who was abused (periodically, but for a long time), I found that in my situation I echoed many of Machado's feelings and thoughts throughout this memoir. A heavy, but necessary read.