This is a very powerful piece of text.
I believe the way it’s constructed – in small vignettes that hop through space and time – helps the reading process because, believe me, it’s a very heavy, harrowing read. At times, I had to put it down because there’s only so much emotional pain I could take.
There are happy moments, too, and existential questions, to offset the heaviness, which made the book even stronger, in my opinion. Machado touches on political debates – how it’s really difficult to portray emotional abuse, especially in a queer relationship. How people react when you share it. How the traditional ‘male’ and ‘female’ roles affect people’s perception in society. And the questions that arise – how did you not know at the start? Why didn’t you leave? Etc.
It’s a very beautifully written book. I think it deserves the right amount of ‘hype’ for what it is – an important piece of text on an important topic, executed beautifully.
I recommend this book to anyone who is curious about the topic, but please beware the obvious trigger. If you have been in an abusive relationship yourself, read with care. There are many scenes in this book that might trigger you. I am so grateful to and proud of the author for sitting down and writing something so incredibly vital, even though it must have cost her a lot to do it.
A solid 5 star read, if there ever was one.
-Reviewed by Violeta Nedkova
