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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
This was one of the most incredibly realized audiobooks I've ever listened to. And holy shit, the story and writing was riveting.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Mini-Review: Meh, an interesting concept but the author does not pull it off.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. It’s been on my TBR for at least two years and is one of the books I was most looking forward to when I had the time and was in the mood. Sadly, it very much disappointed. I even went against a policy I had set for myself upon entering my local library. I had just returned from college and really just wanted to request a book they didn’t have and peruse the shelves. As soon as I had arrived, I realized my goal to simply order a book was not attainable and promptly decided that I would be getting two books as well. I walked up the stairs to the second floor and The Power immediately caught my attention. I recognized the cover immediately but decided to look at other books before I tied myself to that one. While examining the shelves I picked up four books and I was ready to leave when a voice at the back of my head told me to look at The Power’s summary on my way out. I did and it reignited the interest I had first had when I learned of the book two years prior so I added it to my pile and checked it out.
Out of the five I had chosen from the library this book was the most interesting so I put it towards the middle to savor it. I thought it would be philosophical (which interests me a ton) and to a degree it was but while the way parts of the book are sectioned off is brilliant, other than that, it was not a particularly impressive piece of work. You could tell the author set out writing it with a purpose (that’s clear from the very first page) and while it's evident enough in the book that she intended the book to have a message, it is not clear enough for it to be effective. Somewhere within the pages, the purpose got lost in translation making the book feel pretentious with no follow-through. Bits do manage to relate to the political climate at the time Alderman was writing it and so at parts, she manages to succeed, but as for the book as a whole, she does not. The characters are the book’s strongest element but even they don’t make the novel worth a read.
The book overall receives 2 stars from me; it possibly would have earned a .5 if the book hadn’t casually mentioned Israel, four or five times. That always instantly disgusts me and the references were not needed in the slightest. This is not a book I recommend; it’s not enjoyable which can be fine as long as it’s something genre defining, however this book does not fit this category and because of all of the above points it fails. Interesting though the concept might be, it is not enough to make this book redeemable.
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
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:
Complicated
dark
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was great. I was skeptical at first, but it was fucking great. I’m dying to watch the Prime series now. The premise is that teenage girls all over the world suddenly have an electric current (there’s debate over whether this was caused by genetic evolution or a mutation from environmental stimuli) inside their body which they can harness to do all sorts of things… mostly shocking the shit out of people who have wronged them. This flips the power dynamic in societies all over the world, obviously. This book has several intertwining storylines with women from all different walks of life who experience different consequences and rewards from this newfound power. It’s so stupendous to watch it all play out. The ending was magnificent. Really lit up my brain in the best way. If you love flawed female revenge stories and reversed gender roles, you’ll enjoy reading this one.
The idea of this book is really cool and entertaining for about the first 150 pages. But after that, it lost me. Idk if it’s because it took me a while to read this book and I had some pauses in between or whether the characters were actually just confusing, but I did not see how the different stories came together. I did not feel invested in any character, and I never knew what setting anything was taking place in- the US or abroad, a church or the jungle, it all felt very unclear. Also the ending… wtf was that all leading up to? I also think that if women were leaders, things would end up this way. But who knows, maybe power can corrupt anybody…
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
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:
Yes
This was a 5 to me until the end but i loved the examination of gender and power and stereotypes and war and trauma. incredible idea!!!
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mini-Review: Meh, an interesting concept but the author does not pull it off.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. It’s been on my TBR for at least two years and is one of the books I was most looking forward to when I had the time and was in the mood. Sadly, it very much disappointed. I even went against a policy I had set for myself upon entering my local library. I had just returned from college and really just wanted to request a book they didn’t have and peruse the shelves. As soon as I had arrived, I realized my goal to simply order a book was not attainable and promptly decided that I would be getting two books as well. I walked up the stairs to the second floor and The Power immediately caught my attention. I recognized the cover immediately but decided to look at other books before I tied myself to that one. While examining the shelves I picked up four books and I was ready to leave when a voice at the back of my head told me to look at The Power’s summary on my way out. I did and it reignited the interest I had first had when I learned of the book two years prior so I added it to my pile and checked it out.
Out of the five I had chosen from the library this book was the most interesting so I put it towards the middle to savor it. I thought it would be philosophical (which interests me a ton) and to a degree it was but while the way parts of the book are sectioned off is brilliant, other than that, it was not a particularly impressive piece of work. You could tell the author set out writing it with a purpose (that’s clear from the very first page) and while it's evident enough in the book that she intended the book to have a message, it is not clear enough for it to be effective. Somewhere within the pages, the purpose got lost in translation making the book feel pretentious with no follow-through. Bits do manage to relate to the political climate at the time Alderman was writing it and so at parts, she manages to succeed, but as for the book as a whole, she does not. The characters are the book’s strongest element but even they don’t make the novel worth a read.
The book overall receives 2 stars from me; it possibly would have earned a .5 if the book hadn’t casually mentioned Israel, four or five times. That always instantly disgusts me and the references were not needed in the slightest. This is not a book I recommend; it’s not enjoyable which can be fine as long as it’s something genre defining, however this book does not fit this category and because of all of the above points it fails. Interesting though the concept might be, it is not enough to make this book redeemable.
Really enjoyed this book, and the premise is so very intriguing. The amount of background and explanation behind the power is so in depth that it seems somewhat feasible. I got a little lost a couple of times, but was able to pick up the thread later on, and this may have been part of the author’s way of building intrigue and suspense. Enjoyable read and a fun read that I really enjoyed!