Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A dystopia set in near future USA combined with a feminist utopia - with a dark twist. Kept me reading but hard to say much more without spoilers, and its not the sort of book you can read after knowing the plot twists. Found the epilogue - set even further into future with main characters grandchildren a bit of a litdown
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Femlandia is Dalcher's third novel, and having devoured both Vox and Q I was highly anticipating it - a dystopian thriller set in a female-only community? Sign me up! But as the narrative progressed, I couldn't shake the feeling that the plot lacked substance. This, alongside the relatively thin world-building, meant I didn't understand the motives of the characters (who were unlikeable at best and utterly detestable at worst!).
The events leading up to Miranda and Emma entering Femlandia were rushed and vague, with Miranda's husband's suicide alluding to an event I never quite grasped the intricacies of. This, alongside the notion of society turning feral in a relatively short amount of time and Emma's assault by the road, left me feeling like this was just a plot point to conveniently reunite Miranda with her mother's Femlandia ideology. Femlandia itself is described as something of a utopia, where women are free. However, because Miranda spends 80 of her days there in solitary confinement, I didn't get a feel for the place. It's through (very) thinly-vieled suggestions that all is not what it seems there, but I certainly wasn't surprised at the twist. Once you've eliminated sperm being transported into Femlandia, and you've realised that women seem to only be having female babies, it's pretty easy to put two and two together and make four (in this case, the boys being separated from their mothers at birth and kept alive to provide sperm once they reach puberty).
For me, Femlandia promised a lot but delivered little, which was a shame as the concept deserved a worthy execution.
For me, Femlandia promised a lot but delivered little, which was a shame as the concept deserved a worthy execution.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have very mixed feelings about this book. From a thought provoking perspective, it’s great. The plot of this book is so absurd that it reminds me of Poor Things. It’s gross in a lot of ways. But some of the ideas I think are a little too out there and off putting so I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who doesn’t like tragic dystopian stories. I think if you enjoyed The School for Good Mothers and you’re not triggered by some trans phobic topics then you might enjoy this book. I was definitely engrossed by it to a certain point. But I think it went off a cliff at some point and ventured too far into areas that were unsavory. I would almost call it horror at some points to give you an idea.
I definitely had some complaints about the book. I didn’t understand Miranda at all. Miranda was married to Nick. Nick left her destitute and then killed himself. Shortly after, the world descended into chaos. Yet somehow Miranda perceives his positively. I just don’t understand how she can do that given the situation it left her and her daughter in. The fact that she would name her son Nick is beyond ridiculous.
I think the most interesting part of the book was the relationship between Win/Jen and Miranda. Those were probably the best parts of the book. I really liked how it was revealed that Miranda was going to turn in her mom for killing her dad, and that’s why Win faked her death and started living full time in Femlandia. Also, finding out that Jen and Win were more than just mother and daughter was a shock.
I should also add that I think the part with the strip search and belief that a woman is only a woman if born one is an absurd idea and didn’t have a place in this book. I can see why the book received so many negative reviews because of that.
I definitely had some complaints about the book. I didn’t understand Miranda at all.
I think the most interesting part of the book was the relationship between Win/Jen and Miranda. Those were probably the best parts of the book. I really liked how it was revealed that Miranda was going to turn in her mom for killing her dad, and that’s why Win faked her death and started living full time in Femlandia. Also, finding out that Jen and Win were more than just mother and daughter was a shock.
I should also add that I think the part with the strip search and belief that a woman is only a woman if born one is an absurd idea and didn’t have a place in this book. I can see why the book received so many negative reviews because of that.
I like just a touch of dystopia every now and then and that’s exactly what Christina Dalcher delivered with her new book,
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I do agree with some of themes and more specifically fears that the book touches upon but the execution and handling of them just didn't sit right with me. The main heroine was insufferable as always and I agreed little to none with her world views etc. My main take from this book was that, no matter if you are a woman or a man, we all have the capacity to be monsters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Pregnancy
Did not need to get far into this book to see how it’s an extremely poor attempt at saying “misandry is JUUUST as bad as misogyny guys! “ and yeah- thank you but next!!!