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margotnelson's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I started this book on a whim, and was a little slow getting into it, mainly because the narrator is not especially likeable as a character. However, as the story went on, I wanted to know what would happen and how it would end. It was a quick and intense read, and a subsection of the dystopian genre that I hadn't yet dived into but had potential to be really interesting. Descriptions of the logic of this world felt glossed over in a way that didn't serve the story (i.e. Is the ticketing system just in this one country? Why was it implemented in the first place?) and made for an unsatisfying ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault
rosenaughtin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I loved this book for the writing, not so much for the plot. Sophie Mackintosh is a master of dark, mysterious prose, but it didn't translate as well in this novel as in the closed-off world of The Water Cure. There was just too much of the unexplained and nonsensical in her dystopia, and it was hard to get into because of that. It was tense and exciting at times and kept me invested until the end, but I craved more context and character development.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Misogyny
erand92's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Definitely in the tone of Margaret Atwood and Shirley Jackson's The Lottery if you are into that kind of thing. Mackintosh is a new voice of the generation, and I imagine her style will be quite devisive. Personally, I love it. She is commenting on womanhood and the challenges that meet us in a way that is both horrifying and rings so true it is uncomfortable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Self harm
Minor: Infertility
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