5 / 5 ⭐️‘s

"In the Dream House" by Carmen Maria Machado 

“We can’t stop living. Which means we have to live, which means we are alive, which means we are humans and we are human.”

This was a heart-wrenching and thought-provoking memoir that explores the author's experience of being in an abusive relationship with another woman. Through a series of short chapters that blend genres, such as memoir, literary criticism, and folklore, Machado examines the complexities of domestic abuse in same-sex relationships.

The book is structured around different types of abuse, such as gaslighting, physical violence, and emotional manipulation, and the author's struggle to come to terms with the reality of what was happening to her. Machado's writing is both poetic and raw, and she does an excellent job of conveying the fear, confusion, and isolation that often accompanies abuse.

Throughout the book, Machado also weaves in discussions of pop culture and literature, using these as a lens through which to examine societal attitudes towards abuse. 

This is a powerful and necessary work that sheds light on an often-overlooked aspect of domestic violence.