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ally_rb's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Suicide, and Child death
laceydaisy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Infertility, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment and Suicide
brenna2themax's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I really enjoyed reading this book and tore through it in a few days. I actually cried a few times while reading it when getting to the points in the story discussing toddlers and babies dying. I can't remember the last time I cried while reading a book, I'm not a big crier.
Very exciting and fast paced. The characters felt real, but all very similar. Part of this is that we all see them in the same situation of sudden, world-wide devastation and unbearable grief and fear, and there's not a whole lot of character development or exploration beyond that. The story is told from the perspective of many different people throughout the plague, mostly in Scotland and England, but we also hear briefly from a woman in Canada and a Fillipino woman in Singapore and then the Philippines. They all have the same/very similar socioeconomic standing, and all but 2 are white.
Still, I very much enjoyed reading this. A good thriller without a villain.
Very exciting and fast paced. The characters felt real, but all very similar. Part of this is that we all see them in the same situation of sudden, world-wide devastation and unbearable grief and fear, and there's not a whole lot of character development or exploration beyond that. The story is told from the perspective of many different people throughout the plague, mostly in Scotland and England, but we also hear briefly from a woman in Canada and a Fillipino woman in Singapore and then the Philippines. They all have the same/very similar socioeconomic standing, and all but 2 are white.
Still, I very much enjoyed reading this. A good thriller without a villain.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Death, Sexism, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Child death
Minor: Suicide, Trafficking, Homophobia, and Transphobia
cheye13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
It started off well, but lost me around halfway. Ultimately, I'm not sure what... the point... was...
It's pitched as a feminist dystopia, but only mentions women taking over positions of power in the briefest asides. The real focus is the fallout of losing half the population. All of the recovery is focused on repopulation: protecting surviving men, birthing healthy boys, rationing sperm. Despite the female POVs, all the attention is once more on the men. Counterintuitively, it felt like the story coddled men while women buckled down to helm survival.
The most cohesive and developed theme was not women in positions of power, but fertility. The book is tidily bookended by Catherine's fertility problems and eventual pregnancy. All of the grief and fear we see in-depth is for husbands and sons – not fathers or brothers. Fertility stories are important, but this one felt incidental; it was the most coherent throughline, but didn't explore the topic in any meaningful way.
The specific careers (genetics, anthropology, government intelligence) spread the content of the novel too thin. With such intricate professions, there wasn't enough research to provide more than a superficial involvement in the novel's entire premise.
The identity diversity also felt like a hamfisted afterthought rather than a significant facet of the characters that would affect their approach to events. I appreciated the acknowledgement of the trans experience, but it felt extremely shoehorned, and again, not explored in any meaningful way. Sexuality and racial diversity wasn't handled any better, and there was nearly no class diversity.
The writing style was exceedinly readable, and the narrative was generally engaging. But ultimately, I sat down for a dissection of gender in the modern world, and instead got an exceedingly heteronormative narrative that in no way challenged the status quo, skirted gender essentialism, and was also kinda depressing.
It's pitched as a feminist dystopia, but only mentions women taking over positions of power in the briefest asides. The real focus is the fallout of losing half the population. All of the recovery is focused on repopulation: protecting surviving men, birthing healthy boys, rationing sperm. Despite the female POVs, all the attention is once more on the men. Counterintuitively, it felt like the story coddled men while women buckled down to helm survival.
The most cohesive and developed theme was not women in positions of power, but fertility.
The specific careers (genetics, anthropology, government intelligence) spread the content of the novel too thin. With such intricate professions, there wasn't enough research to provide more than a superficial involvement in the novel's entire premise.
The identity diversity also felt like a hamfisted afterthought rather than a significant facet of the characters that would affect their approach to events. I appreciated the acknowledgement of the trans experience, but it felt extremely shoehorned, and again, not explored in any meaningful way. Sexuality and racial diversity wasn't handled any better, and there was nearly no class diversity.
The writing style was exceedinly readable, and the narrative was generally engaging. But ultimately, I sat down for a dissection of gender in the modern world, and instead got an exceedingly heteronormative narrative that in no way challenged the status quo, skirted gender essentialism, and was also kinda depressing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Child death, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Abandonment, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, and Miscarriage
Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, Misogyny, Suicide, Transphobia, and War
the transphobia I mention isn't just that inherent in the premise; a trans character mentions how much more difficult life has been for trans people after "the plague," including an increase in general transphobia and transphobic violenceclauglezzz_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
The irony of reading this book while locked in my room with covid is undescribable. The first pages tore my heart out and stomped on it. Anthony's death had me bawling for 2 hours I wanted to do nothing more than to go out of my room and hug my dad but i couldn't. The chapter that was just blog from a misogynist saying that women had caused the plague made me so angry i trew the book across the room. This book was a rollercoaster of emotions and i cannot recomendit enough
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Confinement
Moderate: Sexism, Infertility, Misogyny, and Medical content
Minor: Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder
thelibraryofanna's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, Death of parent, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Miscarriage, Infertility, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abandonment, Suicide, and Misogyny
charliedezeeuw's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Suicide
jenny_wren's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Wow! I loved this! Its about a virus that originated in Scotland but soon becomes a global pandemic. It tells the story from the perspectives of a range of characters - doctors, scientists and members of the public. The virus is carried by females but contracted by males who die with 2 to 3 days. It kills 90% of those who catch it. Its a race against time to find a vaccine but with so many deaths and experts lost, its a real challenge for those who survive. It affects all males - even new born babies. It looks at how the world will have to change because of a shortage of food, supplies and people.
This is such a thought provoking book that packs more of a punch because of COVID - even though it was written pre COVID. Something like this is a possibility now in a way it wasn't thought even probable before. I had to laugh in places how there were still those people who didn't think the virus was real and men believing it was a conspiracy - writing off women as hysterical and not knowing what they're talking about!
This was amazing - it was a long book but I spent my whole Sunday reading it - just couldn't put it down!
This is such a thought provoking book that packs more of a punch because of COVID - even though it was written pre COVID. Something like this is a possibility now in a way it wasn't thought even probable before. I had to laugh in places how there were still those people who didn't think the virus was real and men believing it was a conspiracy - writing off women as hysterical and not knowing what they're talking about!
This was amazing - it was a long book but I spent my whole Sunday reading it - just couldn't put it down!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, Infertility, and Medical content
Minor: Sexism and Suicide
auteaandtales's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Racism, Gun violence, War, Cancer, Car accident, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Trafficking, and Transphobia
bookishbecky's review against another edition
4.0
I was hooked with this book and read it in 3 sittings. A plague which only affects men begins to spread in Scotland and the doctor who discovers it is ignored until it is too late.
And so begins a heartbreaking book of loss, politics and change. I loved that the book showed that not all of the changes were bad (in the cases of better jobs and rights for women and the escape from domestic violence.)
I also thought it was interesting that toward the end of the book there was commentary on many issues that affect women such as medical and safety equipment and that the remaining men were then struggling with the issues of objectification which women have discussed for so many years.
I was shocked to find this was a debut as it was so gripping and brilliantly written. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
There are a lot of trigger warnings for this book so please do look them up before reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Medical content
Moderate: Suicide