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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Read for my dystopian book club. I liked most of it, but was disappointed by the end. I also wish there was more world building on what exactly was changing in the world - although I guess no one in the world really understood what was happening, especially the narrator.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
This book was better when it was called "The Handmaid's Tale". I wanted to like it, the writing was actually quite good. Please Ms. Erdrich write an original story next time.
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I can see the reviews were quite polarised for this one, but I loved it. I like a lot of what I have read by Louise Erdrich, and while dystopia is not what I have read the most, I thought this one worked quite well. The book is written as a notebook, by Cedar, a 26 year old Native woman who was adopted by a white family and, as she is now pregnant, reconnects with her biological family while the world is changing and evolution is reversing. It isn't an easy book to summarise but I liked the tone and the characters, and I found the format really easy to follow - which is not always the case with a dystopia - and engaging.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
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:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
Hated the writing style
The de-evolution idea was interesting but ultimately led nowhere
All the characters felt really one sided and cliché (ffs the little sister's description was so cringe)
Expected much more from a book with such a strong title
The de-evolution idea was interesting but ultimately led nowhere
All the characters felt really one sided and cliché (ffs the little sister's description was so cringe)
Expected much more from a book with such a strong title
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
It’s set in a dystopic future in which nature has gone haywire resulting in animals, including humans, sometimes giving birth to creatures from their species’ phylogenetic past. The story follows a pregnant woman who must contend with civilization’s collapse into a theocratic hellscape along with the uncertainty of not knowing exactly what species her child may turn out to be. Dystopian sci-fi is a least favorite subgenre for me, but Erdrich crafts touching characterizations with a musical style that kept me reading past some of the expected and often eye-rolling tropes. A unique touch here is the exploration of the fears of pregnancy, especially carrying a child in traumatic times, a position not often experienced by a dystopian sci-fi heroine. I came to love many of the characters, especially the folks on the reservation, and I would have preferred a realistic literary fiction that explored the more human themes Erdrich touches upon in the book, but it was a good read nevertheless.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated