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logolepsy_e's review against another edition
5.0
Questo è uno dei libri che più mi ha colpita in tutta la mia vita, tanto che sono ancora scossa dalla lettura. L'ho finito una sera tardi, dopo essermi messa a letto, e dopo averlo finito ero così colpita che ho passato la notte a sognare della sua storia.
Sarà una recensione breve e molto semplice: sono convinta che il modo migliore per approcciarsi a questo libro sia di farlo conoscendo il minor numero di dettagli possibili, tanto che consiglio anche di non leggere nemmeno la quarta di copertina.
Il libro, una distopia, racconta di un (im)possibile mondo futuro (che in realtà ricorda molto il nostro passato) che estremizza uno dei temi più attuali e discussi dei nostri giorni: l'ossessione delle donne per la bellezza. E lo fa in modo magistrale: questa storia colpisce come un pugno nello stomaco ad ogni pagina. Scatena in noi dubbi, domande, riflessioni, adempiendo perfettamente a quello che è il suo scopo.
E'e scritto molto bene. Di solito storco il naso davanti alla prima persona e ai libri scritti all'indicativo presente, ma devo dire che in questo caso è stata una scelta molto valida. In questo modo l'immedesimazione nel suo mondo è totale, completa, sofferta. La narrazione è rapida e serrata, tanto che il libro, che conta più di 350 pagine, si divora in poco tempo, e nonostante il malessere che spesso prende il lettore, non ci si vuole staccare dalle sue pagine. Perché soffriamo con la protagonista, e insieme a lei vogliamo sapere il prima possibile quale sarà il suo destino.
La scrittrice, una femminista inglese, per quanto mi riguarda ha colpito perfettamente nel segno. Una volta chiuso questo libro, dopo lo sgomento iniziale, mi è venuta una voglia bruciante di uscire e urlare al mondo di leggere questa storia.
Sarà una recensione breve e molto semplice: sono convinta che il modo migliore per approcciarsi a questo libro sia di farlo conoscendo il minor numero di dettagli possibili, tanto che consiglio anche di non leggere nemmeno la quarta di copertina.
Il libro, una distopia, racconta di un (im)possibile mondo futuro (che in realtà ricorda molto il nostro passato) che estremizza uno dei temi più attuali e discussi dei nostri giorni: l'ossessione delle donne per la bellezza. E lo fa in modo magistrale: questa storia colpisce come un pugno nello stomaco ad ogni pagina. Scatena in noi dubbi, domande, riflessioni, adempiendo perfettamente a quello che è il suo scopo.
E'e scritto molto bene. Di solito storco il naso davanti alla prima persona e ai libri scritti all'indicativo presente, ma devo dire che in questo caso è stata una scelta molto valida. In questo modo l'immedesimazione nel suo mondo è totale, completa, sofferta. La narrazione è rapida e serrata, tanto che il libro, che conta più di 350 pagine, si divora in poco tempo, e nonostante il malessere che spesso prende il lettore, non ci si vuole staccare dalle sue pagine. Perché soffriamo con la protagonista, e insieme a lei vogliamo sapere il prima possibile quale sarà il suo destino.
La scrittrice, una femminista inglese, per quanto mi riguarda ha colpito perfettamente nel segno. Una volta chiuso questo libro, dopo lo sgomento iniziale, mi è venuta una voglia bruciante di uscire e urlare al mondo di leggere questa storia.
dilchh's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh! The worst book I have ever read this year, and I thought this year I will be given a chance to read good books. Ugh! Just UGH! The thing is, I am so mad is because this book actually has an interesting concept. I kid you not, everything about this book screams interesting, but then when the story actually going? OH GOOD GOD! WHAT IN GOD’S NAME WAS THAT? What a horrible storytelling that was. I haven’t even seen the half of it and I was already tempted to give up.
Okay, the thing that annoys me the most is the narration! I can’t, for the life of me, enjoys the story with that kind of storytelling. How could someone as bland as Freida could exist? She is, by far, the most cringe worthy character that I have ever read from this year. I know that Freida is merely a creation, so that explains how she seems to be incapable of free thinking, but her lack of personality and/or identity is just unforgivable! Look at the other Eves (yes, these women that are basically created instead of naturally born are called Eves), even they have some sort of identity, however superficial it was.
The second annoying thing is the overly detailed description of basically almost everything in the book.Ugh! I get that the author wants to help the reader in imagining what is going on or what the setting looks like, but the author’s overly detailed description feels like it's just an act of wasting words to fill some empty pages. Now, don’t get me wrong, although I still stand by my judgement about how horrible this book was, I would like to convey my appreciation for the unique premise of the story. It was a promising premise, and I also would like to think that in a way the author was trying to be satire by portraying how these Eves were no more than an object solely for males to use (which is something that looks so much like today, in a way), but reading this was definitely a hard work for me.
One thing that I also appreciate was the plot twist at the end of the story, which finally explains why Freida is like that, but then again that particular plot twist just made the feeling of “what is the purpose of the story?” even more severe. With that, I would like to say that I will not be recommending this book to anyone.
Okay, the thing that annoys me the most is the narration! I can’t, for the life of me, enjoys the story with that kind of storytelling. How could someone as bland as Freida could exist? She is, by far, the most cringe worthy character that I have ever read from this year. I know that Freida is merely a creation, so that explains how she seems to be incapable of free thinking, but her lack of personality and/or identity is just unforgivable! Look at the other Eves (yes, these women that are basically created instead of naturally born are called Eves), even they have some sort of identity, however superficial it was.
The second annoying thing is the overly detailed description of basically almost everything in the book.Ugh! I get that the author wants to help the reader in imagining what is going on or what the setting looks like, but the author’s overly detailed description feels like it's just an act of wasting words to fill some empty pages. Now, don’t get me wrong, although I still stand by my judgement about how horrible this book was, I would like to convey my appreciation for the unique premise of the story. It was a promising premise, and I also would like to think that in a way the author was trying to be satire by portraying how these Eves were no more than an object solely for males to use (which is something that looks so much like today, in a way), but reading this was definitely a hard work for me.
One thing that I also appreciate was the plot twist at the end of the story, which finally explains why Freida is like that, but then again that particular plot twist just made the feeling of “what is the purpose of the story?” even more severe. With that, I would like to say that I will not be recommending this book to anyone.
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Handmaid's Tale meets Uglies meets 1984? It's not either, but both sprung to mind as I sped through this. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!
In O'Neill's world, girls cannot be born - they are made. And of course, if you can make something, you're going to make it the best version possible, aren't you? freida and her group of primped and pumped beauties have all been cloistered in secluded schooling their entire lives, taught to rate themselves against each other, to strive for bodily perfection, to be ready to submit to the wishes of their chosen mate later in life. Now freida is 16 and their husbands (or other fates) are going to be selected for them. The life of a submissive wife and mother, or that of a concubine? Are these her choices?
It's a world I desperately wanted to pull freida out of - the four year old girls dieting to reach optimum weight, the teenagers listing each others' physical flaws, the constant rivalry to be the thinnest, the highest ranked. And it's a world that O'Neill has written very well indeed - I could picture the looks the girls gave each other, the jealousy and simmering hormonal tension as these normal girls are trained to live this way.
The little details really make it - the TV programmes of the bored but privileged housewives, the social media the girls are addicted to, the conversations that throw details of their restrictive and revolting lives out to us.
Frieda is sympathetic, her best friend isabel. the top-ranked girl, distant from the beginning as she gains weight and loses popularity and ranking, forcing freida out into the cold world of the other girls without the care of her friend. She is our window out onto this stark world, where boys are prized, girls are barely prizes, life more about birthing boys than companionship or connections. She makes a fascinating protagonist as her conscience pricks her as she follows the lead of the wonderfully evil megan.
I loved seeing the future husbands play a role, the 'auditions' and tests they attend with the girls laughable and horrific at the same time, their lives just as restricted in some ways but unable to see past the system.
With minor sexual content, and a lot of teenage emotion, this would be best read by ages 13+. It has a lot to say, and personally I'd recommend it to adults (and book groups) as well, for the discussions it will provoke.
Oh, the girls' names above - you may have noticed are not given capital letters. That's not poor typing. I loved this aspect of the book - this is how unimportant they are - they are commodities, worth little but as wombs. And not worthy of capital letters, that's how I read O'Neill's decision to write every female name this way. Different, and very effective. It made me look up from the pages and sigh with relief at the world I inhabit.
Excellent, original and frightening debut. I look forward to the author's next. And will someone please recommend this to Hollywood?
In O'Neill's world, girls cannot be born - they are made. And of course, if you can make something, you're going to make it the best version possible, aren't you? freida and her group of primped and pumped beauties have all been cloistered in secluded schooling their entire lives, taught to rate themselves against each other, to strive for bodily perfection, to be ready to submit to the wishes of their chosen mate later in life. Now freida is 16 and their husbands (or other fates) are going to be selected for them. The life of a submissive wife and mother, or that of a concubine? Are these her choices?
It's a world I desperately wanted to pull freida out of - the four year old girls dieting to reach optimum weight, the teenagers listing each others' physical flaws, the constant rivalry to be the thinnest, the highest ranked. And it's a world that O'Neill has written very well indeed - I could picture the looks the girls gave each other, the jealousy and simmering hormonal tension as these normal girls are trained to live this way.
The little details really make it - the TV programmes of the bored but privileged housewives, the social media the girls are addicted to, the conversations that throw details of their restrictive and revolting lives out to us.
Frieda is sympathetic, her best friend isabel. the top-ranked girl, distant from the beginning as she gains weight and loses popularity and ranking, forcing freida out into the cold world of the other girls without the care of her friend. She is our window out onto this stark world, where boys are prized, girls are barely prizes, life more about birthing boys than companionship or connections. She makes a fascinating protagonist as her conscience pricks her as she follows the lead of the wonderfully evil megan.
I loved seeing the future husbands play a role, the 'auditions' and tests they attend with the girls laughable and horrific at the same time, their lives just as restricted in some ways but unable to see past the system.
With minor sexual content, and a lot of teenage emotion, this would be best read by ages 13+. It has a lot to say, and personally I'd recommend it to adults (and book groups) as well, for the discussions it will provoke.
Oh, the girls' names above - you may have noticed are not given capital letters. That's not poor typing. I loved this aspect of the book - this is how unimportant they are - they are commodities, worth little but as wombs. And not worthy of capital letters, that's how I read O'Neill's decision to write every female name this way. Different, and very effective. It made me look up from the pages and sigh with relief at the world I inhabit.
Excellent, original and frightening debut. I look forward to the author's next. And will someone please recommend this to Hollywood?
stjehanne's review against another edition
3.0
Only picked this up because of the ridiculously bad cover (graphic design is my passion :), without even reading the blur.
What a wild ride, surprisingly hard to read. While the prose itself is nothing to write home about, I found myself intrigued by the plot. Sure, it has been done before but seeing it from the perspective of a teenage girl made this dystopian future much more frightening to me.
I'm not a teenager anymore but I can very well remember being one. I remember feeling confused about my place in the world, vulnerable and alone. And I think Only Ever Yours captures that emotion quite perfectly but ramps it up tenfold.
However, I also have to admit that this book didn't reach its potential: Some parts seemed like pure filler, some parts of the narrative just didn't make any sense to me (Where do babies come from?). None of the girls had any real personality - which, perhaps, was the point but it made my reading experience rather frustrating at times.
What a wild ride, surprisingly hard to read. While the prose itself is nothing to write home about, I found myself intrigued by the plot. Sure, it has been done before but seeing it from the perspective of a teenage girl made this dystopian future much more frightening to me.
I'm not a teenager anymore but I can very well remember being one. I remember feeling confused about my place in the world, vulnerable and alone. And I think Only Ever Yours captures that emotion quite perfectly but ramps it up tenfold.
However, I also have to admit that this book didn't reach its potential: Some parts seemed like pure filler, some parts of the narrative just didn't make any sense to me (Where do babies come from?). None of the girls had any real personality - which, perhaps, was the point but it made my reading experience rather frustrating at times.
readwithkiekie's review against another edition
I put down this book at 79 pages.
First off let me tell you all that I didn't DNF this book because it was bad. In fact the premise is one of the most original I've read. A YA Feminist Dystopian that displayed the most realistic portrayal of Teenagers in our day and age.
I loved the characters and I wanted to know what was going to happen, but I just couldn't get used to the writing style. It just didn't appeal to me.
BUT!
If you do want a different take on YA Dystopia that shows how messed up our world is, then this is for you!
"And you! and you! and you! You're gonna love it.............!"
First off let me tell you all that I didn't DNF this book because it was bad. In fact the premise is one of the most original I've read. A YA Feminist Dystopian that displayed the most realistic portrayal of Teenagers in our day and age.
I loved the characters and I wanted to know what was going to happen, but I just couldn't get used to the writing style. It just didn't appeal to me.
BUT!
If you do want a different take on YA Dystopia that shows how messed up our world is, then this is for you!
"And you! and you! and you! You're gonna love it.............!"
hmblvj's review against another edition
5.0
Just as thought provoking as the first time I read this. It is not a fun, fluff-type book. It is disturbing from the beginning. The first inkling of what is to come is when you realize that the women's names are deliberately in lower-case, an indication of their status in this world. We see the story unfold through the eyes of illiterate teenage girls whose entire world revolves around their appearance and popularity. Unlike our world the girls' appearance and popularity determines their limited futures. There is no way for the eves to rise on their own merit, they are entirely at the not so tender mercies of the ruling patriarchy.
stars0aked's review against another edition
2.0
Perhaps the most unsatisfying book I've read all year. I almost didn't finish due to frieda being such an insufferably spineless main character. However, I stuck it out because I wanted to unravel isabel's mystery... which turned out to be both predictable and so lacking.
lisaar91's review against another edition
4.0
Very different to my normal genre. I really enjoyed it although the ending was very abrupt!
honestlycat's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.25
beepbeep15's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0