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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Honestly, probably 4.5 stars for me! When I started, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the style - it certainly isn’t the easiest to follow. But this book is going to stick with me for a long time. Each of the characters is quite different from me, but it’s so easy to find similar struggles & feelings & insecurities with all four women.
It’s a daunting look at a very possible future, but looks at the intricacies of life vs just the overarching political argument to be made. It makes the effects of laws, rhetoric, and political candidates seem so much more real.
It’s a daunting look at a very possible future, but looks at the intricacies of life vs just the overarching political argument to be made. It makes the effects of laws, rhetoric, and political candidates seem so much more real.
Though the main hook of Red Clocks is its exaggeration of our patriarchal society with the (as yet) fictitious federal abortion ban, what made this book absolutely shine for me is how Zumas portrays with great care and subtlety the very real way our male dominated culture shapes the thoughts and choices of women so nothing feels exaggerated at all.
Really, really didn’t want this book to finish. The struggle of 5 woman told in hugely compelling ways that feel authentic & human without heros or heroines. My first dystopian novel & won’t be my last!
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
So, I didn't hear all the buzz around this book before reading it - GOOD FOR ME. I would've definitely been a lot harsher had I known this was compared to The Handmaid's Tale (one of my favorite books since high school, long before the televisionshow). It's a small town book with alternating, connected women narrators as well as a biography on a female explorer. I felt more strongly about the narrators, the small town, and the development than the feminism/abortion rights angle. The female narrators did seem to try to be put in "boxes" but the author, but the roles were unnecessary -- their voices could have just been more different to distinguish them. They seems to have very similar thoughts; maybe the author could have just done third-party narration overall for everyone?
Also, I love a dystopian novel, and I didn't necessarily think this was dystopian. It seemed to be just slightly different than the current real world, and really narrowly focused within this one small town. A hopeless story, and I liked the book overall!
Also, I love a dystopian novel, and I didn't necessarily think this was dystopian. It seemed to be just slightly different than the current real world, and really narrowly focused within this one small town. A hopeless story, and I liked the book overall!
A little close to the bone at the moment. Abortion is illegal and two parents are needed to raise a child, but the world soldiers on. (What I mean is, it is amazing what you can adapt to and in this world the women have adapted.) Not sci fi, but a depiction of what we are likely to encounter—a pink wall keeping women out of Canada, illegal abortions from former planned parenthood doctors (planned parenthood outlawed),, and the prosecution of perceived abortionists. But oddly enough, this book has humorous/wry/funny bits, too.
What can I say…? It felt too safe, too white to me. As someone who works in the reproductive health, rights, and justice field, I turned to this book to seek creative escapism and resilience. But instead I feel like I got a traditional retelling of the same tired tropes about women, just set in the distant future. Some may think that the author was excused of covering the stories of people of color or people who work for low wages with any real depth because the setting was Oregon, but this just didn’t feel right or real to me. The author did cover the stories of a teenager, a recluse, a mother, a teacher, an explorer, etc, but it never really answered the question I wanted answered: how would a low-income woman of color with existing children have dealt with the realities of the setting? Instead, we got a black and white tale with little nuance. It seemed too easy.
challenging
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This isn’t a long book but it took me almost two weeks to get through. There were moments of beautiful writing but too many of the characters felt underdeveloped and the narrative lacked cohesion. I had high hopes but was left underwhelmed.