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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
2.5. Began as a moving and absorbing story that captures so much of what it feels like to be alive right now... then got too disjointed and murky to be actually satisfying.
I was surprised to find I didn't enjoy this book.
The premise is fascinating. I love the idea of moving backwards through time, a reverse evolution. Of course there would be some form of control over the babies who are born successfully, and regulations on pregnant women. I could have read hundreds of pages of world-building here, and instead felt left in the dark.
I can't complain about this book as too similar to The Handmaid's Tale, as I haven't finished that yet, and the theme of controlling reproduction in some form for some reason is fairly common across science fiction/dystopian tales. Even so, the book doesn't hold up for me.
There were some good moments of adventure and tension, but it moves slowly overall and leaves too much unanswered for me to recommend it. A heavy extension with more of the details might be worth a read.
The premise is fascinating. I love the idea of moving backwards through time, a reverse evolution. Of course there would be some form of control over the babies who are born successfully, and regulations on pregnant women. I could have read hundreds of pages of world-building here, and instead felt left in the dark.
I can't complain about this book as too similar to The Handmaid's Tale, as I haven't finished that yet, and the theme of controlling reproduction in some form for some reason is fairly common across science fiction/dystopian tales. Even so, the book doesn't hold up for me.
There were some good moments of adventure and tension, but it moves slowly overall and leaves too much unanswered for me to recommend it. A heavy extension with more of the details might be worth a read.
:/
very slow start, the most interesting part of the book was when Cedar was in the hospital hatching a plan of escape with spider nun, but the rest of the book was pretty dull? i found the backdrop pretty interesting as well, with the whole evolution turning backwards and everything, but it's just that: a backdrop. we don't delve deeply into what's happening with evolution and animals.
but as a whole it was so rambly and introspective the book felt a lot longer than it really was. I didn't enjoy reading it.
very slow start, the most interesting part of the book was when Cedar was in the hospital hatching a plan of escape with spider nun, but the rest of the book was pretty dull? i found the backdrop pretty interesting as well, with the whole evolution turning backwards and everything, but it's just that: a backdrop. we don't delve deeply into what's happening with evolution and animals.
but as a whole it was so rambly and introspective the book felt a lot longer than it really was. I didn't enjoy reading it.
This book is a fever dream or waking nightmare. It is written in the form of a letter written by a woman living through utter catastrophe - evolution has sped up, gone backwards, and the entire ecosystem on Earth is out of whack. The first thing the government does, of course, is imprison women, first the pregnant, then anyone who is of reproductive age.
The book feels ragged -- a little shaggy in places. I read some reviews that said that this was a novel Erdrich had started years ago, and felt compelled to finish in the first days of the Trump administration. It has that feeling of a rush - it's not a tightly constructed novel, and there are a lot of moments that left this reader scratching her head, wanting more. There's not a lot of scientific explanation or world building. You are left only with the point of view narration by Cedar, the protagonist.
Still, this whiplash style worked for me because it matched the overall feel of the book. I can't say this is a great novel but it is one hell of a scary page turner.
The book feels ragged -- a little shaggy in places. I read some reviews that said that this was a novel Erdrich had started years ago, and felt compelled to finish in the first days of the Trump administration. It has that feeling of a rush - it's not a tightly constructed novel, and there are a lot of moments that left this reader scratching her head, wanting more. There's not a lot of scientific explanation or world building. You are left only with the point of view narration by Cedar, the protagonist.
Still, this whiplash style worked for me because it matched the overall feel of the book. I can't say this is a great novel but it is one hell of a scary page turner.
“Mine is not a church of the saved, but a church of the lost.”
"People sick for power have no song."
3.5 stars - great, hilarious beginning; the middle dragged; great, powerful conclusion
I don't know why so many GR reviewers keep saying Erdrich rewrote Handmaid's Tale. Like, are y'all unfamiliar with the incarceration and reproductive injustices committed against Ojibwe and other Indigenous women? from the beginning of the colonial period to... well, it's still ongoing. No disrespect to Atwood, because this seems to be a narrative driven by her fans, but she doesn't own these concepts.
I also have seen several complaints that this book is really slow. The only other Erdrich I've read is [b:Tracks|78887|Tracks|Louise Erdrich|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1170962034l/78887._SY75_.jpg|188924] and the pacing in this was so much faster and the tone so much lighter compared to that short novel.... well, Erdrich might not be for you, is all I'm saying.
In terms of the de-evolution stuff, eh, I just interpreted it as a fantastical plot device to get to the widespread chaos Erdrich was using to drive the plot, and didn't pay attention to the details because they didn't seem to be the important part. Paying attention to the use of food to evoke a sense of community or isolation were a lot more meaningful in how I read the story. ymmv with that approach.
CW: medical violence, forced insemination and forced birth, family drama related to adoption
3.5 stars - great, hilarious beginning; the middle dragged; great, powerful conclusion
I don't know why so many GR reviewers keep saying Erdrich rewrote Handmaid's Tale. Like, are y'all unfamiliar with the incarceration and reproductive injustices committed against Ojibwe and other Indigenous women? from the beginning of the colonial period to... well, it's still ongoing. No disrespect to Atwood, because this seems to be a narrative driven by her fans, but she doesn't own these concepts.
I also have seen several complaints that this book is really slow. The only other Erdrich I've read is [b:Tracks|78887|Tracks|Louise Erdrich|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1170962034l/78887._SY75_.jpg|188924] and the pacing in this was so much faster and the tone so much lighter compared to that short novel.... well, Erdrich might not be for you, is all I'm saying.
In terms of the de-evolution stuff, eh, I just interpreted it as a fantastical plot device to get to the widespread chaos Erdrich was using to drive the plot, and didn't pay attention to the details because they didn't seem to be the important part. Paying attention to the use of food to evoke a sense of community or isolation were a lot more meaningful in how I read the story. ymmv with that approach.
CW: medical violence, forced insemination and forced birth, family drama related to adoption
The whole time I was reading this I kept thinking it's not just like The Handmaid's Tale, but by the time I got to the end, there was no denying the similarities. I really wanted to know more about the world they were living in and why healthy babies were becoming rare.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted this book to be very good. Interesting plot, but what one reviewer calls “dreamy,” stylistically turned boring for me half way through.