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ktaroo939's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic book!
Ohh I loved this book! I read it in one day and couldn't put it down. So much like the handmaids tale but with a lead character who is a bit stronger and the tone is one of perseverance, not resignation. Loved it!
Ohh I loved this book! I read it in one day and couldn't put it down. So much like the handmaids tale but with a lead character who is a bit stronger and the tone is one of perseverance, not resignation. Loved it!
bristlecone's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Although this reads largely like a standard in the post apocalypse genre, it is much more than a standard. For one, it is one of the few books in the genre that treats women like real people who are forced to operate under a different set of rules and who make decisions that they hope will help them survive given those rules.
It also accurately illustrated what most women already know, that a large percentage of men that we interact with don't see us as fully humans, that if societal norms broke down, a large number of the men that we work with and interact with would happily devolve into treating us like objects. Even some of the "good guys" in this who protect women display a feeling of ownership or the basic idea that women must be protected in order to have children and rebuild the human race, not because the woman is valuable just as a complete human being. I saw a comment that said "apparently the only men who survive are rapists and murderers" but that isn't the case. Decent men survive, it's just they are such a rarity in the "before world" that they are even more rare in the "after world".
It also accurately illustrated what most women already know, that a large percentage of men that we interact with don't see us as fully humans, that if societal norms broke down, a large number of the men that we work with and interact with would happily devolve into treating us like objects. Even some of the "good guys" in this who protect women display a feeling of ownership or the basic idea that women must be protected in order to have children and rebuild the human race, not because the woman is valuable just as a complete human being. I saw a comment that said "apparently the only men who survive are rapists and murderers" but that isn't the case. Decent men survive, it's just they are such a rarity in the "before world" that they are even more rare in the "after world".
bookish_emily's review
4.0
The Book of the Unnamed Midwife is a bleak portrayal of just how quickly the world as we know it could crumble around us. Set in the modern U.S. after a terrible virus has wiped out more than 98% of the population, especially women and children, the story is told through a combination of journal entries and narrative. The focus is on an obstetrics and gynecology nurse, aka the titular "Unnamed Midwife," who took care to chronicle her life following the plague. This haunting novel delves into the realities of human nature when basic survival is the prime objective. A great read for fans of Station Eleven and other postapocalyptic novels.
emmajanereads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
disarmingman's review
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
lisztaffe's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
whatzoreads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Slavery, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, and Misogyny
luminous's review
4.0
Pleasantly surprised. Audiobook version, so the written tics like "blah = blah" were not very jarring. Being read aloud, it came across as her telling her story over a campfire in a very brusque way. The narrator was excellent.
The long section with Mormons was interesting.
Ellison writes annoying and unlikeable characters unflinchingly while keeping them human. I liked that.
I may be biased because I love end of the world stories. I mean, I rated this the same as Assassin's Quest, even though technically, and emotionally and for sheer scope and depth, it is by far the better book. Oh well! Different kinds of like, I guess. This book's an amazing meal; Assassin's Quest is a year of amazing meals. Both amazing.
The long section with Mormons was interesting.
Ellison writes annoying and unlikeable characters unflinchingly while keeping them human. I liked that.
I may be biased because I love end of the world stories. I mean, I rated this the same as Assassin's Quest, even though technically, and emotionally and for sheer scope and depth, it is by far the better book. Oh well! Different kinds of like, I guess. This book's an amazing meal; Assassin's Quest is a year of amazing meals. Both amazing.