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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
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
I don't agree with some of the things happening in this book and hope humans would be able to sustain more humanity in a world like this. The book is pretty easy to read through if you are ready with reading really brutal and explicit scenes. The way it set up is pretty different to anything I have ever read.
I really like the way the emails are used to build this fictional reality in which Neil and Naomi live in. A world in which they are ruled by a matriarchat and women are to believed to have had the power forever. The way they write about how impossible it would be, that man rule over women and that stuff that happens to men in their society could have never happened to women gives me goosebumps.
I also like how the protagonists are written. Two of them are still kids, when the story begins and they act in a way that is mostly understandable from an outside perspective. They slowly change to do things which are harder to excuse and don't seem to see how wrong it is they do. In the end Roxy and Tunde seem to be the most sensible out all of them (maybe because they don't have the power?) and Mother Eve and Margot seem to have gone corrupted by the voice of power. At least as far as I understand.
I think it will take me another few days to get the book to its full extend, but I will definitely keep thinking about it.
I also like how the protagonists are written. Two of them are still kids, when the story begins and they act in a way that is mostly understandable from an outside perspective. They slowly change to do things which are harder to excuse and don't seem to see how wrong it is they do. In the end Roxy and Tunde seem to be the most sensible out all of them (maybe because they don't have the power?) and Mother Eve and Margot seem to have gone corrupted by the voice of power. At least as far as I understand.
I think it will take me another few days to get the book to its full extend, but I will definitely keep thinking about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual content
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
reflective
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:
No
We can never do too much when trying to explain all the tiny aggressions women deal with everyday.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Read for Postmodernism class. Super easy to get through, very engaging and interesting, good way to end the semester.
This is the book what Stephen King (and son) was trying to write with "Sleeping Beauties" and what Jeff VanderMeer was trying to write with "Annihilation." While the subject matters within each book are different, the spiritual concept is strikingly consistent. Either that or I'm just happy that a woman has written a book like this about women for once.
While there are some shockingly disturbing scenes in this book, they are all quite meaningful in terms of communicating the resulting message.
While there are some shockingly disturbing scenes in this book, they are all quite meaningful in terms of communicating the resulting message.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I too, approached this book with the question of what WOULD it look like with the tables reversed? It is a timely question, and I think many of us went into this book with the same question. In the end, I wanted to like the book more, but Alderman's writing at times felt forced and confused. The story needed to be shortened (better editing?), and honestly I just wish it had a more creative ending besides power corrupts. Reading it through this lens, it is just another Hunger Games, with a twist.
This book is definitely R rated. Between all the Alex, violence and cursing, it would not be appropriate for an adolescent girl even though it center around several of their stories. I did not like how when women earned power, they became like the men that used to oppress them. I didn’t love many of the characters. And honestly now I can’t even really remember how it ended!