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kailajay's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I first read this book a couple of years ago and when browsing my Kindle notebook noticed a highlighted quote from the 3rd book in the Road to Nowhere series and decided to reread the series.
The premise is a virus that sweeps (at least) America that kills 98% of men and 99%+ of women, particularly during childbirth. The US becomes a degenerative hellscape, where the straight men of the world battle for the few women left alive, and generally do horrible things to them.
The main character is assaulted within a handful of pages. There are in depth descriptions of FGM, sexual assault, miscarriage, stillbirth, child death, death during childbirth, child sexual abuse, and general violence against women.
But it's still a deeply interesting book that draws you in. Written in a mix of direct storytelling and frantic journal entries, the 'Unnamed Midwife' is a complex and intriguing character who will do (nearly) anything to survive. We're introduced to concepts expanded on in the next books, the idea of these journals being copied over and over again to preserve both the story and the medical information, the 'wooden belly' that Ina wears, the settlement of Nowhere.
The main character, the 'Unnamed Midwife'- she gives a different name to everyone she meets, and is an experienced midwife- goes through a long and complex journey to find her way to Nowhere, an ex military base. I don't know much about American geography but the people she meets, and the stories that she tells through them, are all incredibly gripping and while they don't always move the story onwards, they move the character onwards and build the new world up (or tear it down just that little bit more).
It's really hard to recommend this book because of how deeply dark the content is. I enjoyed this book in a very complex, rough way, but whether you want to read this needs to be a personal choice, based on whether you can process the content in a safe way. I'd advise taking breaks when you need to, even in a reasonably short book.
Graphic: Misogyny, Suicide, Torture, Medical trauma, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Miscarriage, Murder, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Trafficking
lady_bountiful's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, Blood, Violence, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Gun violence, Miscarriage, and Murder
hurlyburlywitch's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Several plot points hit me like a gut punch, but in the end the plot felt rushed, like they'd run out of book to struggle in, rather than running out of struggle.
One thing that was missing for me was the acknowledgement of trans people, and how they were impacted by a virus that was more deadly for women. In fact, they might have held some clue- was the virus more deadly based on about organs, or hormones, or purely capacity for pregnancy?
Graphic: Sexism, Rape, Violence, Death, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Child death
Moderate: Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Medical content, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Infertility, Blood, Child abuse, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Excrement, Infidelity, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Suicide, Murder, Car accident, and Cursing
Minor: Vomit
maxx_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Trafficking, Slavery, Gore, Sexism, Rape, Misogyny, Death, and Sexual assault
Minor: Child death and Miscarriage
shontellereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Slavery, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Murder, Gore, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Torture, Suicide, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Infertility
accovino's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child death, Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, and Trafficking
Minor: Abortion, Vomit, and Suicide