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laurajh77's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book and read the second half in one go, I wanted to know what would happen so much! It’s dark and violent and unpleasant, but actually I think I could believe it might happen. That combination of slightly fantastical plot but set in a very familiar world really works for me.
I’m sure there are many things that could be criticised, from the science of it all to the radical feminism and conveniently pregnant lead character who stumbles onto the truth at the camp very quickly. I don’t think that matters to me. I have enjoyed all Dalcher’s books and this one was the best so far.
I’m sure there are many things that could be criticised, from the science of it all to the radical feminism and conveniently pregnant lead character who stumbles onto the truth at the camp very quickly. I don’t think that matters to me. I have enjoyed all Dalcher’s books and this one was the best so far.
hollys_book_nook's review against another edition
3.0
Miranda has always thought she would rather die than ever set foot in her mother’s women-only colony, Femlandia. But when her husband abandons her and her daughter in the worst possible way, Femlandia may be her safe haven. Emma is instantly enchanted by the colony, but Miranda knows that something isn’t right. From the outside looking in, Femlandia is successful and thriving. When Miranda takes a closer look at the inner workings of her mother’s creation, she discovers the dark secret at the center of the colony.
Big dystopian thriller fan here
Big dystopian thriller fan here
poppyjessica's review against another edition
3.0
Whilst 'Vox' and 'Q' are dark and disturbing portrayals of human nature, they are solid dystopian novels which I rather enjoyed. With 'Femlandia', Christine Dalcher has gone one step further is trying to leave her reader deeply unsettled and questioning everything they believe about human nature. The main plot line is an interesting premise, but I warn you now that, by the end, this novel strays to a bizarre place which does not feel as enjoyable as Dalcher's other novels.
We are introduced to Miranda and her daughter Emma as the world (for some unexplained reason) has fallen into debt and chaos. Supermarkets are low on food, electricity and running water are a distant memory, and people are either killing each other or themselves. Rather than face the danger of this grim reality, Miranda and Emma seek refuge in a local 'feminist' commune, Femlandia. These, as established through flashbacks, were founded by Win, Miranda's mother. What appears to be a safe paradise for broken women clearly has some dark things bubbling under the surface...
All in all, the premise is solid and we have some interesting characters in the mix. I thought the flashbacks to Win's formative years and the abusive treatment which shaped her, were particularly well written. Even if she experienced some horrific things, Win becomes an awful villain, a vile person amongst a generally awful cast of characters. The very end is clever, and makes society feel like a grim cycle of misogyny. It is just a shame that the plot on the way there is... bizarre!
3 stars for Dalcher's latest work. Fingers crossed we have a better return to form in her next novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
We are introduced to Miranda and her daughter Emma as the world (for some unexplained reason) has fallen into debt and chaos. Supermarkets are low on food, electricity and running water are a distant memory, and people are either killing each other or themselves. Rather than face the danger of this grim reality, Miranda and Emma seek refuge in a local 'feminist' commune, Femlandia. These, as established through flashbacks, were founded by Win, Miranda's mother. What appears to be a safe paradise for broken women clearly has some dark things bubbling under the surface...
All in all, the premise is solid and we have some interesting characters in the mix. I thought the flashbacks to Win's formative years and the abusive treatment which shaped her, were particularly well written. Even if she experienced some horrific things, Win becomes an awful villain, a vile person amongst a generally awful cast of characters. The very end is clever, and makes society feel like a grim cycle of misogyny. It is just a shame that the plot on the way there is... bizarre!
3 stars for Dalcher's latest work. Fingers crossed we have a better return to form in her next novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
misha_ali's review against another edition
1.0
My problem with this book is that it's too surface level. We have the black and white camps of the comically puritanical misandrists versus every grown man we hear of being either abusive or a rapist. You must fall into one camp or the other, with no room for nuance. The ending sequence also made little sense to me, as did the big reveal. Disappointingly without nuance and completely shoves aside exceptions to this binary like non-binary or trans people existing, which annoys me because it feels as if the author say nuance and dodged it neatly and carried on. Disappointing and TERFy.
maefarrow's review against another edition
2.0
This was bad. If you want to know how bad, look at the bit where the main character enters a dark outbuilding, refuses to turn on the lights out of fear, goes back out to fetch matches that she doesn’t need because she remembers after fetching the matches that there’s a convenient flashlight by the door.
But the flashlight is too bright so she covers it with her shirt, she searches the office space in the building and finds folders which ‘she doesn’t have enough light to read by’ so she starts taping post-its to the window panes for some reason? Maybe take off the cloth covering the flashlight if you need more light?? Am I losing my mind or is all this a little dumb? It takes like 10 pages for us to find out what’s in this outbuilding as well. This book was infuriating.
But the flashlight is too bright so she covers it with her shirt, she searches the office space in the building and finds folders which ‘she doesn’t have enough light to read by’ so she starts taping post-its to the window panes for some reason? Maybe take off the cloth covering the flashlight if you need more light?? Am I losing my mind or is all this a little dumb? It takes like 10 pages for us to find out what’s in this outbuilding as well. This book was infuriating.
spinstah's review against another edition
3.0
I had to think about this one for a while. There are barely any likeable characters in this novel, which I struggled with especially within the context of a book about a feminist community. But they seemed like realistic personalities, and I could understand where they were coming from.
On a more petty note, as a reader who enjoys post-apocalyptic fiction I took issue with the portrayal of the DMV as completely empty after this book's precipitating action.
On a more petty note, as a reader who enjoys post-apocalyptic fiction I took issue with the portrayal of the DMV as completely empty after this book's precipitating action.
lady_oracle's review against another edition
1.0
"a feminist commune, set up and explored during an active economic apocalypse? sign me up!" said a woefully naive me.
the lead character is flat and frankly annoying, and so Not Like Other Girls ("What do they call that? Tall? Grande? One of those. I never could figure out why “tall” was the name for the smallest size.") despite being such a caricature of femininity it was hard to stomach. i don't need to identify with a lead, but i need to understand their reasoning, especially if i can't bring myself to actually like them.
the prose beats you over the head because the author assumes you're an idiot. the memories serve no purpose other than to re-iterate the lead's perspective. entire paragraphs devoted to making sure the reader comes to the same conclusion as the lead. suffocating attempts at sarcasm and wit, insufferable monologuing, and a lack of world-building made the first 10 chapters feel like 40.
i honestly couldn't even make it to the actual commune - these first 10 chapters have felt claustrophobic, and not in a fun thriller way.
did not - could not - finish
the lead character is flat and frankly annoying, and so Not Like Other Girls ("What do they call that? Tall? Grande? One of those. I never could figure out why “tall” was the name for the smallest size.") despite being such a caricature of femininity it was hard to stomach. i don't need to identify with a lead, but i need to understand their reasoning, especially if i can't bring myself to actually like them.
the prose beats you over the head because the author assumes you're an idiot. the memories serve no purpose other than to re-iterate the lead's perspective. entire paragraphs devoted to making sure the reader comes to the same conclusion as the lead. suffocating attempts at sarcasm and wit, insufferable monologuing, and a lack of world-building made the first 10 chapters feel like 40.
i honestly couldn't even make it to the actual commune - these first 10 chapters have felt claustrophobic, and not in a fun thriller way.
did not - could not - finish
bookwormreflections's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
artsyydaisyy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jessicareadsmanybooks's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0