In the Dream House

It's pretty impressive when a book can manage to be in turns fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose, self-help, and a novel fashioned more like a series of short stories than chapters, yet read as a coherently themed whole. I've never read anything quite like it, and as an ambitious and quirky style of writing that travels across many genres, it's really fascinating to read, even if you don't share the experience or sexual orientation of the author. While written to shed light on the vastly under-represented experience of a queer woman in an abusive relationship - in this case, the author, the relational aspects of psychological and emotional abuse would be equally relevant to those in any relationship in which the power-dynamic is being abused, whether romantic or not. It's well-written, witty, thought-provoking and unique, and well worth a look. My only caution is this: if you're sensitive to occasional explicit sexual descriptions or what some might consider more vulgur anatomical terms, this may not be your cup of tea. It can be a little crass in its language at times, but I appreciate that Ms. Machado is choosing her own authentic voice to speak of her experience, rather than worrying about being polite.

★★★★