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A review by amandajwampler
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
5.0
Genuinely spectacular. I have never read anything like this, and I am not sure I will read anything that compares. I sometimes find it hard when authors write their stories in "unique formats" (whatever that may mean—maybe I am just a creature of habit), as it sometimes loses necessary clarity, but this book is nothing like that. The chapters, each using a different lens to examine Carmen's relationship, bring a profound sense of reality (and horror) to this story.
"I speak into the silence. I toss the stone of my story into a vast crevice; measure the emptiness by its small sound."
It was absolutely genius how she opened the story and progressed into their relationship. So many times, specifically in fictional depictions of abuse, there seems to be a moment when "a switch flips." There was nothing quite like that here. I was waiting for the shoe to drop, waiting for something to explode before I realized how deep she already was. Wow. I had so many true jaw-drop moments where her prose described something so specific and unique that I could never imagine it being put into words. Her use of the word luck…. over and over again, counting herself lucky. Brilliant and terrible.
I am completely astounded after finishing this book. This is a masterpiece. I highlighted a LOT of this book, but specifically, I highlighted the last sentence of almost every chapter. A lot of the success of this format came from her ability to tightly wrap a piece of her story into a tiny lens and then end on a gut-wrenching note.
"I speak into the silence. I toss the stone of my story into a vast crevice; measure the emptiness by its small sound."
It was absolutely genius how she opened the story and progressed into their relationship. So many times, specifically in fictional depictions of abuse, there seems to be a moment when "a switch flips." There was nothing quite like that here. I was waiting for the shoe to drop, waiting for something to explode before I realized how deep she already was. Wow. I had so many true jaw-drop moments where her prose described something so specific and unique that I could never imagine it being put into words. Her use of the word luck…. over and over again, counting herself lucky. Brilliant and terrible.
I am completely astounded after finishing this book. This is a masterpiece. I highlighted a LOT of this book, but specifically, I highlighted the last sentence of almost every chapter. A lot of the success of this format came from her ability to tightly wrap a piece of her story into a tiny lens and then end on a gut-wrenching note.