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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Murder
Minor: Vomit, Abortion, Pregnancy
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ Handmaid’s Tale meets Brave New World in a grim dystopian future.
“𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚌𝚊𝚐𝚎, 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚘𝚗𝚎.”
Mind the trigger warnings. This is really dark. A bleak but powerful US militarized state, with only one free territory in Louisiana.
Imagine an era where a second civil war has happened, establishing a hierarchy with DoS (Descendents of Slavery, black women), and the bottom, suffering total loss of control over body, mind, and being. Future tech advancements and algorithms include constant video surveillance, monitoring, and truth elicitation via subdermal chips.
“𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝙱𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝; 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚙. 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎, 𝚒𝚝 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎.”
Solenne Bonnet looks like Thomas Jefferson’s slave consort Sally Heming. I felt for her, even as I longed for her to break out of the mind warp and escape this destiny. This is a devastating, grim future and I couldn’t look away.
“𝙸𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚗’𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚙𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞.”
I appreciated the tie to this nation’s dark history of prosperity on the backs of slavery, to include our founding fathers and the genesis of the United States. A very powerful read that I highly recommend if you’re in the right headspace (triggers below).
“𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝚜𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚒𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎.”
TW: Gaslighting, Murder, Death, Racism, Sexism, Rape, Grooming, Misogyny
“𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚌𝚊𝚐𝚎, 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚘𝚗𝚎.”
Mind the trigger warnings. This is really dark. A bleak but powerful US militarized state, with only one free territory in Louisiana.
Imagine an era where a second civil war has happened, establishing a hierarchy with DoS (Descendents of Slavery, black women), and the bottom, suffering total loss of control over body, mind, and being. Future tech advancements and algorithms include constant video surveillance, monitoring, and truth elicitation via subdermal chips.
“𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝙱𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝; 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚙. 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎, 𝚒𝚝 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎.”
Solenne Bonnet looks like Thomas Jefferson’s slave consort Sally Heming. I felt for her, even as I longed for her to break out of the mind warp and escape this destiny. This is a devastating, grim future and I couldn’t look away.
“𝙸𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚗’𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚙𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞.”
I appreciated the tie to this nation’s dark history of prosperity on the backs of slavery, to include our founding fathers and the genesis of the United States. A very powerful read that I highly recommend if you’re in the right headspace (triggers below).
“𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝚜𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚒𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎.”
TW: Gaslighting, Murder, Death, Racism, Sexism, Rape, Grooming, Misogyny
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Well, this is definitely a case where the book's cover had enticed to read it since the sense of danger and struggle was evident just from looking at it.
The Blueprint is set in a dystopian version of Texas, where systemic racial segregation has prevailed. Solenne has somehow ended up in the sight of a white official Bastien Martin, second-in-command to the regime - her position is powerless but her presence also raises questions about Bastien's hypocrisy and lies. Solenne seeks solace in writing about her ancestor, who had been given the name of Henriette, who had been traded to the US in the 1800s as part of the slave trade. But Solenne's reality in her world is not much better than Henriette's, despite the years that have set them apart:
In Solenne's world, her future is determined by an algorithm that automatically assigns her to serve a white man before she can hopefully return to become a black officer's wife. Solenne has no other future other than to serve men and her entire education has been to shape her to become a wife. However, things do not go according to plan when she catches the eye of Bastien. His mansion has become her cage and she has little choice in anything about her life, she never lives his estate and is hidden from the greater world. It has been this way since Order took over:
The Blueprint worked on a psychological level, because Solenne is well and truly trapped in a gilded cage but it is not just the material comfort that makes it difficult to leave, it is how thoroughly embedded Bastien has become in her life. She is not able to leave the house physically but it is also that he has succeeded in invading her psyche - she believes that she loves him, despite being seen as less than human than him. And this means that she hesitates to act, even when an opportunity presents itself for her to escape.
I know very little about the historical events that the book is based on, about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings and how she went back from France (where she was a free woman) to America (where she was enslaved and so were any of her children). So the book felt to me like it succeeded in terms of being inspired by this history and updating it for Rae Giana Rashad's purposes. The relationship between Bastien and Solenne, from how he groomed her to believing that they are in love, felt heartbreakingly bleak.
However, where the book felt like it fall short was in terms of the world-building, because it is not clear to me how Texas eventually got taken over by the Founders and why Louisiana, of all places, became the last bastion of free Black people.
The Blueprint is set in a dystopian version of Texas, where systemic racial segregation has prevailed. Solenne has somehow ended up in the sight of a white official Bastien Martin, second-in-command to the regime - her position is powerless but her presence also raises questions about Bastien's hypocrisy and lies. Solenne seeks solace in writing about her ancestor, who had been given the name of Henriette, who had been traded to the US in the 1800s as part of the slave trade. But Solenne's reality in her world is not much better than Henriette's, despite the years that have set them apart:
We became what they called us. Who wouldn't want to be set apart deemed beautiful by men with houses in gated subdivisions with clusters of lilies and polished floors that gleamed in sunlight? A Black girl gives and gives, why is she wrong when she takes? If you had to have a cage, it was better to have a beautiful one. Wasn't it?
In Solenne's world, her future is determined by an algorithm that automatically assigns her to serve a white man before she can hopefully return to become a black officer's wife. Solenne has no other future other than to serve men and her entire education has been to shape her to become a wife. However, things do not go according to plan when she catches the eye of Bastien. His mansion has become her cage and she has little choice in anything about her life, she never lives his estate and is hidden from the greater world. It has been this way since Order took over:
Councilmen were the Order's most decorated men. The talented, skilled, brillant. Engineers, physicians, cryptographers, developers. But fundamentally, they were soldiers. Killers. Eleven gun-wielding psychopaths who signed opinion into law.
In speeches and articles, the councilmen became the adoring grandpa, the gentle husband, the everyman who maintained order and kept our borders safe.
They identified as either Traditionalists or Modernists. The main difference between them was their philosophy on DoS. Traditionalists believed in strictly adhering to the Founders' original framework where rights were almost nonexistent. Modernists flirted with the idea that DoS deserved some autonomy, mainly based on reports of abuse and letters written by lobbyists, white women like mama's friend Margaret Ann.
The Blueprint worked on a psychological level, because Solenne is well and truly trapped in a gilded cage but it is not just the material comfort that makes it difficult to leave, it is how thoroughly embedded Bastien has become in her life. She is not able to leave the house physically but it is also that he has succeeded in invading her psyche - she believes that she loves him, despite being seen as less than human than him. And this means that she hesitates to act, even when an opportunity presents itself for her to escape.
I know very little about the historical events that the book is based on, about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings and how she went back from France (where she was a free woman) to America (where she was enslaved and so were any of her children). So the book felt to me like it succeeded in terms of being inspired by this history and updating it for Rae Giana Rashad's purposes. The relationship between Bastien and Solenne, from how he groomed her to believing that they are in love, felt heartbreakingly bleak.
However, where the book felt like it fall short was in terms of the world-building, because it is not clear to me how Texas eventually got taken over by the Founders and why Louisiana, of all places, became the last bastion of free Black people.
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The Blueprint
Rae Giana Rashad
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
This book was the April selection for the Bookends Friends Book Club! The selections for this book club are always thought provoking and discussion inducing and this month was no exception.
This book is told from two different perspectives over three different timelines. We primarily follow Solene in a Then and Now back and forth, with sporadic visits to Solene’s ancestor, Henriette, in the 1800’s. Henriette was an enslaved concubine and Solene is penning her story while finding herself living a life not too dissimilar.
This book had the potential to be so impactful. The stories of black women and the atrocities that they have (and continue to) endure are ones that need to be told again and again so that hopefully at some point the world can do better by them. This book was just really hard to follow, was lacking on world building, and was lacking an explanation of the historical context that would have made it all make more sense.
Despite its flaws, this book still feels important. I would just encourage you to do some research on the historical inspiration (Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings specifically) prior to reading as I think it will enhance your experience tremendously. I can take responsibility for my own ignorance and lack of knowledge on the topic; however, when I’m picking up a work of fiction, I don’t think that the whole story making sense should be reliant on assuming that the reader has historical background information already. A foreword or historical note at the start of this book would have changed my reading experience entirely. I am so thankful for the buddy read group as we were able to process this and collectively break it down.
🎧 The narration of this one was really great. I would suggest a tandem read with the book also if you choose to go this route as audio alone left a lot of room for confusion and missing details.
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced