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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Basically a book about the horribleness and near powerlessness of being a woman. Not a depressing read, though. Highly compelling, once you get into it, and hopeful. Characters exceptionally well drawn. Very much worth reading. Also, content warning: there’s a bit of body horror.
I really, really wanted to like this book and I just couldn't. Too many different POV and it took way too long for them to come together and then the ending was unsatisfying.
The ideas were good, but the execution of the ideas in a book format were meh. And having the biographer's writing of the ancient female explorer interrupted the story more than it added to it.
I think the laws and restrictions were important but I am afraid books like [b:The Power|29751398|The Power|Naomi Alderman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462814013s/29751398.jpg|50108451] and the [b:The Handmaid's Tale|38447|The Handmaid's Tale|Margaret Atwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498057733s/38447.jpg|1119185] do it so much better than this one did.
The ideas were good, but the execution of the ideas in a book format were meh. And having the biographer's writing of the ancient female explorer interrupted the story more than it added to it.
I think the laws and restrictions were important but I am afraid books like [b:The Power|29751398|The Power|Naomi Alderman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462814013s/29751398.jpg|50108451] and the [b:The Handmaid's Tale|38447|The Handmaid's Tale|Margaret Atwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498057733s/38447.jpg|1119185] do it so much better than this one did.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
I would like nothing more than to sit in the forest with the Mender, drink tea, watch the goats, and take in all that she has to teach me.
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a timely, relevant and thought-provoking look at how the more things change, the more they stay the same. If you want to know why we march, read Red Clocks.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was a little worried reading some of the reviews that this book was going to be some dry, depressing, rhetorical exercise. It definitely isn’t. What a fascinating exploration of a difficult topic, beautifully written and fairly complex. Captured the experience of both agonizing for a child and desperately not wanting one — sometimes at the same time — in a way I’ve rarely seen. Read the whole thing in three days. Highly recommend.