A review by booksjessreads
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

challenging dark informative fast-paced

5.0

I actually do not think I have the words to do this book justice. This is such a creative and powerful memoir which provides such an intricate and clever insight into Machado's domestic abuse by a former girlfriend. It also provides an important and informative narrative on the subject of domestic abuse in queer relationships more broadly, making use of the little amount of literature that exists on this topic. Furthermore, Machado references fiction, film and culture with relation to domestic abuse to give insight into the ways in which abuse is represented in a wider 'art and culture' context, but also allows us to learn about Machado's life through these lenses. 

Chapters are often short because each chapter represents a different lens of which to view domestic abuse. It is so cleverly written and so informative. Despite the short chapters, I would recommend taking your time with it to allow you to appreciate the work that Machado has crafted, but also to pace yourself through the heavy subject matter.

I am excited to read Her Body and Other Parties and would highly recommend In the Dream House to broaden and enrich the bookish content you are reading.
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