Reviews - Future Home of the Living God

2.07k reviews for:

Future Home of the Living God

Louise Erdrich

3.66 AVERAGE

teannedavis's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark slow-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: No

This one was a hard read for me, as in, hard to finish. Not my favorite work of Erdrich's but I just still really love the way she writes. Complex characters, still far superior to Handmaid's Tale

crouchingdoctorhiddenbias's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional 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: No

samary's review against another edition

3.25

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

bjrbeau's review against another edition

I’m all done with Erdrich. Too much going on here. Adoption issues, dad issues, mom issues, boyfriend issues. Indian issues. Pregnancy issues. Religion issues. Climate issues.
All important things, but none done solidly (except the pregnancy part)
Didn’t really need to add the dystopian stuff, already too jumbled.
Owns a home because she writes a monthly newsletter, really?
Happens to be an expert on pregnancy, evolution, and immaculate conceptions?
Mom happens to be a midwife?
I mean I know it’s fiction, but come on!
And the boyfriend , what does she have against this poor guy!
Just crummy

nostradamnus's review against another edition

3.0

dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Read this if you want to: explore the political climate of the late 2010s/early 2020s through fiction; read about real, specific people navigating the end of the present world; and/or be made deeply aware of your body and its evolutionary history. Also, if you're into transitionary dystopias.

It's very frustrating to like this book less than The Handmaid's Tale because I think this book is arguably better--it has higher and more specific spec-to-fic ratio, characters that were real, and a really graphic description of watching someone give birth--but I read THT years ago, and I read FHOTLG in 2023. It's the day after my state put in an emergency stop for all trans healthcare. Roe v. Wade is dead. Abortion pills may be next. And I think right now, forced birthing centers, pregnancy policing, and a rising Christo-fascist government just feel a bit too real.

Maybe I'll be able to reread this in a few years and be able to really take it all in, appreciate it for what it is, but wrong place, wrong time.

Content Warnings