A 1000x better than expected, and I expected nothing short of holy scripture.
Months earlier I stumbled upon the description and knew this book would be monumental. As early reviews crept in, my anticipation grew. I had my Kindle fully charged and stayed up until midnight so I could start reading the second it released. By 2am I was 30% done. A few marathon readings later, I reached the last page with breathless finality. The result? Monumental doesn't even begin to cover it.
The funny thing, it's not monumental because of what happens. Bad relationships happen all the time. Abusive relationships, mental and/or physical, happen all the time. It's talked about less in queer relationships, that's true, and Machado does a great job pointing that out, but I doubt anybody will be dumbfounded by what they read. They will be surprised, however, that there's someone brave enough to talk about it, and by how personal she's willing to get. They will be surprised by how she structures it.
The structure really is what makes this a masterpiece. It's not just the experience, it's the delivery. The darkest memories are brilliantly conveyed in second person and through varying lens. Most of them literary devices. Machado recounts her life through the eyes of Chekhov's Gun, Choose Your Own Adventure, Haunted House, Erotica, Plot Twist, and dozens more. Each section is short and precise. Never a wasted word. For those uncomfortable reading about abuse, she doesn't take it too far either. This isn't battered woman porn. She doesn't go on and on. We get snippets, glimpses of a life that we can easily piece together, and, more importantly, relate to.
What she accomplishes for the queer community specifically, I think, is breaking the ice. After hard-fought battles for marriage equality, there's this unspoken rule that gay relationships must work. If they don't, people will point and say I told you so. By extension, rights may be taken away. Obviously that's not the only factor that kept Machado in her relationship. It may not even be in the Top 10, but it is a shadow that hovers over the scene. She points to lesbian stereotypes as well. Society expects men to be abusive, but two women? Their relationship should be a utopia, right? These stereotypes, this ice, is something she clearly wants to break apart. And she succeeds tremendously.
Of course you don't have to be queer to recognize this is a master work of memoir and creative non-fiction. It is a testament that all experiences, however ordinary or unique, should be shared. Perhaps the most powerful aspect of the book is the relentless honesty. She veils it slightly by the structure and 2nd person, but in a way this makes the experience more real. More true. And the accomplishment, I think, is for any one person to read this and be able to know that, for sure, they are not alone.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
Putting our best book forward
Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.
Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.
View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.
Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.
Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Get the free Kindle app: 
Enjoy a great reading experience when you borrow the Kindle edition of this book with your Kindle Unlimited membership.
Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the Publisher
Praise for In the Dream House:
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reviews with images
Have you ever been left speechless by a book? This book did that to me.
I had to take some time to process it and yet, I still don’t know if my words will make it justice.This harrowing memoir not only depicts an abusive queer relationship but also a simple yet terrible fact: our legal system “does not provide protection against most kinds of abuse – verbal, emotional, psychological…” Let that sink.This type of domestic abuse in a lesbian relationship can be even more difficult to prove (and process) since there is so little information about it.Ask yourself... Is it because abuse does not happen within same-sex couples or because our culture has somehow idealized what a queer relationship is like?I can bet you know the answer.In this book Machado reminds us that “Abusers do not need to be, and rarely are, cackling maniacs. They just need to want something, and not care how they get it.”She writes about her experience with such a raw honesty and vulnerability, that you’ll probably be gasping for air as you read her story.Also, her writing is just phenomenal. (There is even a “Choose your own adventure” chapter that blew my mind!)I’ve never read a memoir like this one. I’ve never read a book like this one.Add it to your list my friends. You’ll remember it forever.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2023
Top reviews from other countries
lipsticklori
An innovative and utterly gripping read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 30, 2023
