A review by kmgriffin02
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

1.0

Giving a memoir 1 star and I don't feel bad about it because this is so ass I'm kinda pissed at the author. I feel like I'm being rage baited. She's trying to describe an abusive relationship but she's so goddamn pretentious and annoying and worried about being aesthetic and artsy and quirky that the story itself is completely lost and underdeveloped. She kinda forgot to make the abuse even seem that bad if I'm honest...it was a long distance relationship. Author has an MFA and oh boy she doesn't let you forget it!! the whole thing is full of footnotes just to show off more random & unnecessary knowledge, half the chapters aren't even about her bc she just can't help but prove her knowledge of random characters from literature and film, worst of all - she visits Harvard and immediately says "maybe I should have gone to Harvard. I should have applied." mind you she went to IOWA!!!! LOL she thinks she's so smart. Again I'm literally mad at her if you can't tell. Don't write a memoir if you don't actually want to tell your story. Idk how this has such positive ratings.