Carmen Maria Machado delivers a transformative account of a tumultuous romantic affair with a volatile woman in 'In the Dream House.' A memoir that defies convention, it employs a series of narrative lenses—each chapter through a different trope like the haunted house or erotica—to explore the personal trauma and cultural perceptions of psychological abuse within. Tracing her own journey from a religious upbringing to challenging the fallacies of safe lesbian relationships, Machado dissects her experience with remarkable wit and evocative prose, making it not only a study of a predator-prey dynamic but a wider commentary on queer relationship abuse. Interweaved with cultural references from fairy tales to 'Star Trek,' this memoir lays bare the author's path to understanding and processing her past, creating a work that redefines the scope and ambition of memoir writing.