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clhtdr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Ableism, Pregnancy, Torture, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
hurlyburlywitch's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Enjoyed this dystopia, but found some of the elements frustrating- surprise at the antisemitism of the Nazis seemed unrealistic, even for the time. Clearly a close cousin to others in its genre, but a fun ride if you're not looking to be dramatically stretched.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Sexism
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Murder, and Torture
bealmg's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.
What if the United Kingdom had surrendered itself to Nazi Germany?
Set in London 1953, Widowland follows Rose Ransom, a 29-year-old woman who works for the Ministry of Culture. She is in charge of changing classic works of literature to fit in with the Alliance's view of women. She is also a Geli, the highest class in the Alliance's system of classification for women. The ones at the bottom live in 'widowland'. As an important event approaches, whispers of plans to murder the Alliance's Leader, as well as mysterious graffiti made up of lines from famous women writers whose books had been banned, appear, and Rose is tasked with discovering the culprits behind these graffiti.
Unfortunately, this novel didn't work for me. The idea is fascinating (what would happen to women had the UK allied itself with Nazi Germany), but I think that it got lost along the way. The dystopian aspects are not exactly new (if you've read The Handmaid's Tale, 1984, Brave New World, etc. you will immediately see where the author drew inspiration from). This isn't a bad thing, per se, but I felt like the author tried to incorporate too many dystopian elements and ended up not being able to fully, deeply explore them. Because of this, the main plot wasn't as strong as it could've been, and it often got lost in the middle of unnecessary scenes.
The characters, including Rose, were mostly flat. I don't know if this is an issue of the writing style or if it's just me. The author definitely focuses more on world-building than exploring her characters' motivations, which is not necessarily a bad thing; however, I am usually drawn to stories that are more character- than plot-driven, so to me this was a negative aspect.
On the other hand, this is an easy, addictive read. The writing style is really accessible and I liked how the author linked historical characters with the narrative - it's always an interesting part of any 'what if?' story. Overall, I was disappointed because the premise seemed incredible, but this just wasn't for me.
What if the United Kingdom had surrendered itself to Nazi Germany?
Set in London 1953, Widowland follows Rose Ransom, a 29-year-old woman who works for the Ministry of Culture. She is in charge of changing classic works of literature to fit in with the Alliance's view of women. She is also a Geli, the highest class in the Alliance's system of classification for women. The ones at the bottom live in 'widowland'. As an important event approaches, whispers of plans to murder the Alliance's Leader, as well as mysterious graffiti made up of lines from famous women writers whose books had been banned, appear, and Rose is tasked with discovering the culprits behind these graffiti.
Unfortunately, this novel didn't work for me. The idea is fascinating (what would happen to women had the UK allied itself with Nazi Germany), but I think that it got lost along the way. The dystopian aspects are not exactly new (if you've read The Handmaid's Tale, 1984, Brave New World, etc. you will immediately see where the author drew inspiration from). This isn't a bad thing, per se, but I felt like the author tried to incorporate too many dystopian elements and ended up not being able to fully, deeply explore them. Because of this, the main plot wasn't as strong as it could've been, and it often got lost in the middle of unnecessary scenes.
The characters, including Rose, were mostly flat. I don't know if this is an issue of the writing style or if it's just me. The author definitely focuses more on world-building than exploring her characters' motivations, which is not necessarily a bad thing; however, I am usually drawn to stories that are more character- than plot-driven, so to me this was a negative aspect.
On the other hand, this is an easy, addictive read. The writing style is really accessible and I liked how the author linked historical characters with the narrative - it's always an interesting part of any 'what if?' story. Overall, I was disappointed because the premise seemed incredible, but this just wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Minor: Torture
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