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3.01 AVERAGE
3.01 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Who is this written for?
Even after having read this book I cannot tell you. It is not the kind of book with a message that would be useful to any gender. Honestly, it doesn't have a message at all.
It started so interestingly with the potential to have a powerful message about the harm of Patriarchy and the harm it does, but it turned out to just be a misogynistic mess with pro patriarchy undertones.
Art is a disgusting waste of potential and could have been an examination of toxic masculinity. Victoria might as well not have existed.
As the book skipped over many nuances in society, like lesbianism, people of colour, (I know victoria and her mum are black but they might as well have been white Oxford attendees like the rest of them) any genders other than men and women, lower classes, (again Victoria might as well have been upper class) I'm not going to go into that either.
The "It's him or me" being part of the problem ending is pathetic and doesn't add to the story. Victoria could have been a great way to discuss intersectionality, or the effect of long-time abuse but just ended up being a tragic figure with no consequence in the story.
The assault scene is just a genderswapped version of real-life harassment and doesn't examine any of the system through which this kind of thing happens, it doesn't take into account the differences in power, either systemic or physical. and the fact that this society is so new would not have been enough time for this kind of sentiment to flourish in people who grew up in the old system, this behaviour and entitlement is something people grow up with and flourishes because people accept it as truth from young ages where critical thought and empathy are still being developed.
The "Nest" scenes were strangely misogynistic torture porn.
The end is juvenile and patronising. It doesn't really send any kind of message or provide any satisfying conclusion to what had been set up previously.
This is such a strange form of wasted potential. There were so many things about our society it could have examined or critiqued but fell short on all fronts. It didn't seem to realise how much of it is extremely or insidiously problematic. It seems to me that the author doesn't quite know what she was trying to say about patriarchy or misogyny and doesn't understand the function of the dystopia genre. I had half expected and would have respected it if it had been a warning about swinging too far into the "feminine" in an attempt to get away from patriarchy. Instead, it has misused the term matriarchy to ascribe it to this world of control and dictatorship.
<b>In short, this book will do far more harm than good, especially to people not able to see the many harmful things in this book.</b>
Even after having read this book I cannot tell you. It is not the kind of book with a message that would be useful to any gender. Honestly, it doesn't have a message at all.
It started so interestingly with the potential to have a powerful message about the harm of Patriarchy and the harm it does, but it turned out to just be a misogynistic mess with pro patriarchy undertones.
Art is a disgusting waste of potential and could have been an examination of toxic masculinity. Victoria might as well not have existed.
As the book skipped over many nuances in society, like lesbianism, people of colour, (I know victoria and her mum are black but they might as well have been white Oxford attendees like the rest of them) any genders other than men and women, lower classes, (again Victoria might as well have been upper class) I'm not going to go into that either.
The assault scene is just a genderswapped version of real-life harassment and doesn't examine any of the system through which this kind of thing happens, it doesn't take into account the differences in power, either systemic or physical. and the fact that this society is so new would not have been enough time for this kind of sentiment to flourish in people who grew up in the old system, this behaviour and entitlement is something people grow up with and flourishes because people accept it as truth from young ages where critical thought and empathy are still being developed.
The "Nest" scenes were strangely misogynistic torture porn.
The end is juvenile and patronising. It doesn't really send any kind of message or provide any satisfying conclusion to what had been set up previously.
This is such a strange form of wasted potential. There were so many things about our society it could have examined or critiqued but fell short on all fronts. It didn't seem to realise how much of it is extremely or insidiously problematic. It seems to me that the author doesn't quite know what she was trying to say about patriarchy or misogyny and doesn't understand the function of the dystopia genre. I had half expected and would have respected it if it had been a warning about swinging too far into the "feminine" in an attempt to get away from patriarchy. Instead, it has misused the term matriarchy to ascribe it to this world of control and dictatorship.
<b>In short, this book will do far more harm than good, especially to people not able to see the many harmful things in this book.</b>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Classism
Minor: Genocide, Excrement
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
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:
Yes
I have been in what feels like a never-ending reading slump, but this dark, twisty and thought-provoking novel pulled me right out of it - at least for a few days.
The Quickening is set in the not too distant future, with women having taken over the world. I have always been a sucker for dystopia, loving the opportunity to reflect on the world as we know it, and flipping it on its head, something which Talulah Riley has done masterfully. The Quickening had so many twists and turns that I never got bored. The dystopian future Riley has imagined is both dream-like in some ways, but also brutal and horrific. I was constantly captivated, intrigued to see more of this possible world.
I really hope that there is a sequel planned as I do not feel that the story for these characters is quite over yet.
Overall this is an excellent read, and if you are a fan of The Power, The Handmaid's Tale or any other dystopian, feminist fiction, then you should definitely try out The Quickening.
The Quickening is set in the not too distant future, with women having taken over the world. I have always been a sucker for dystopia, loving the opportunity to reflect on the world as we know it, and flipping it on its head, something which Talulah Riley has done masterfully. The Quickening had so many twists and turns that I never got bored. The dystopian future Riley has imagined is both dream-like in some ways, but also brutal and horrific. I was constantly captivated, intrigued to see more of this possible world.
I really hope that there is a sequel planned as I do not feel that the story for these characters is quite over yet.
Overall this is an excellent read, and if you are a fan of The Power, The Handmaid's Tale or any other dystopian, feminist fiction, then you should definitely try out The Quickening.
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of this book was so intriguing and I couldn't wait to get into it, to see how the author depicted a world with a matriarchy instead. The future within the book was not what I expected, the views of those in charge were madness and there were so many moments where I sat there trying to wrap my head around the policies and rules put in place. None of the characters were particularly likeable - for obvious reasons, except Goya who I loved. The book was well written, and heavy hitting covering a lot of topics to explain why Dana and her group had these extreme views. This was an interesting take on why a matriarchy wouldn't always be a guaranteed improvement on the patriarchy. This book could have gone a few different ways to show the future ruled by women and I think this was a good route for the author to go down. The snippets of The Quickening manifesto at the start of each chapter was interesting and provided a real insight into the start of the change and the revenge sought by Dana against all men.
The premise of this book was so intriguing and I couldn't wait to get into it, to see how the author depicted a world with a matriarchy instead. The future within the book was not what I expected, the views of those in charge were madness and there were so many moments where I sat there trying to wrap my head around the policies and rules put in place. None of the characters were particularly likeable - for obvious reasons, except Goya who I loved. The book was well written, and heavy hitting covering a lot of topics to explain why Dana and her group had these extreme views. This was an interesting take on why a matriarchy wouldn't always be a guaranteed improvement on the patriarchy. This book could have gone a few different ways to show the future ruled by women and I think this was a good route for the author to go down. The snippets of The Quickening manifesto at the start of each chapter was interesting and provided a real insight into the start of the change and the revenge sought by Dana against all men.
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Beware the Matriarchy
The world has changed.
No longer do men have dominance, no longer are women second class citizens. Now the tables have turned.
Equality was never an option, superiority was always the aim.
The Quickening is a dystopian novel which flips the real world on it's head, showing what society would be like if women took control, and made the matriarchy as powerful and all consuming as the patriarchy ever was.
Although caricaturised in parts, the simple reversal of roles described in this book create a powerful image. The things which happen every day to women in our world suddenly seem ridiculous, criminal and unlikely when they are shown to happen to men instead.
The ludicrous nature of those things throws into sharp relief how desperately certain changes of the last few centuries were in fact needed, and how equally necessary further change still is.
Although the storytelling is sloppy and this book screams first novel (although its the author's second), I appreciate how this book made me think. The characters were almost all fairly uninteresting to me, and out of everyone I was really only drawn with curiosity to Dana. There must have been millions of Dana's over the centuries, filled with subversive ideals and swimming in privilege - it's scary to have a look at what it might be like when one of them is in the right place at the right time, and is given the opportunity to realise those ideals.
The end of the story felt so silly to me, the scenes in The Nest clearly came from a good idea yet they just didn't work for me.
I think that Riley uses more crass imagery than her writing talent has scope for.
Overall I am happy to have read this inflammatory, provocative book. I enjoyed the general concept a great deal, and I would recommend it to specific people. Strong parallels exist with between The Quickening and Brave New World, 1984 and Fahrenheit 451. That's not to say that if you loved those books then you should read this one - it is certainly not of their class.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Torture
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was really looking forward to reading this book after I won a review copy from Readers First. The book is set in a dystopian world where women rule the UK and men are a secondary being.
At first I was gripped by the starting chapters as the story settled to reveal how Dana, the current prime minister, managed to create this ruling power and completely switch the power balance.
However as I got further into the book I just started to lose a connection to the plot. It is meant to be a dystopian reality so I guess that is the point but I found that it just got a bit too weird as the motivations of the woman in charge became more and more clear.
I felt that after the start the story struggled to go anywhere. There was no major plot with just different elements of the world focused on. When there was an element of a plot I found that it just suddenly ended with no obvious moving arc and a sudden finish. Overall it was an interesting read but I didn't think the story arc was particularly good.
At first I was gripped by the starting chapters as the story settled to reveal how Dana, the current prime minister, managed to create this ruling power and completely switch the power balance.
However as I got further into the book I just started to lose a connection to the plot. It is meant to be a dystopian reality so I guess that is the point but I found that it just got a bit too weird as the motivations of the woman in charge became more and more clear.
I felt that after the start the story struggled to go anywhere. There was no major plot with just different elements of the world focused on. When there was an element of a plot I found that it just suddenly ended with no obvious moving arc and a sudden finish. Overall it was an interesting read but I didn't think the story arc was particularly good.