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rosemarystory's review against another edition
5.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this, a great twist and from an interesting point if view, eagerly awaiting the follow up!
pattyspages's review
challenging
dark
tense
3.0
DYSTOPIAN FANS; UNITE AND READ THIS BOOK!
A bleak and disturbing read (if not a bit overly sympathetic at times) that is an overall page turner.
I enjoyed that this book took a different approach to others in it's genre that are related to issues of gender where it's the women who are being cast out, downtrodden, farmed like animals, hunted etc etc.
However, there were moments that felt quite drawn out and some of the post-apocalyptic style living circumstances made no sense to me (there are plenty of jobs that are still male dominated, yes, but there are still women in those roles...and if books and the internet are still a thing then it was a bit odd that certain jobs just stopped being done - I say that with complete understanding also that there's a chance these jobs didn't continue - i. e drilling for oil - BECAUSE women were in charge of the new society and it's a nod to the fact that we tend to surmise that the planet would do better under the leadership of women)
Anyway, it's fun in parts, uncomfortable in parts, tense and high-stakes in parts and overall a success.
A bleak and disturbing read (if not a bit overly sympathetic at times) that is an overall page turner.
I enjoyed that this book took a different approach to others in it's genre that are related to issues of gender where it's the women who are being cast out, downtrodden, farmed like animals, hunted etc etc.
However, there were moments that felt quite drawn out and some of the post-apocalyptic style living circumstances made no sense to me (there are plenty of jobs that are still male dominated, yes, but there are still women in those roles...and if books and the internet are still a thing then it was a bit odd that certain jobs just stopped being done - I say that with complete understanding also that there's a chance these jobs didn't continue - i. e drilling for oil - BECAUSE women were in charge of the new society and it's a nod to the fact that we tend to surmise that the planet would do better under the leadership of women)
Anyway, it's fun in parts, uncomfortable in parts, tense and high-stakes in parts and overall a success.
spacewhombus's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Okay so the premise for this was interesting, if a bit extreme: toxins from a new species of moth basically kill off all the men in the world, leading to a total overhaul of society, one in which women are now the decision-makers. Any men that remain are strictly confined to group care homes in order to protect them from certain death. The protagonist is Mary, an older worker in one such care home who is one of the few women old enough to remember what life was like before.
Some of this book was really interesting to think about- like how much more peaceful society might actually be if women ran everything, or how relationships and sexuality would evolve if there are no men available to have relationships with, and how easily such a new society would relinquish its newfound power if the opportunity to give men immunity to the toxin became available.
That said, there were a lot of sark things in this book as well, from how sexual reproduction would be handled to how quickly men became dehumanized. Some of this left me with an ehhh feeling, like it seemed a bit of a stretch to assume that things could get so extremely sexist, but when you reverse it and think of our own society, there is so much of this stuff that happens already and we don't even notice it. I think the author wanted to kind of shock you and make you think about sexism in society by offering up this extreme role reversal scenario.
For those wondering, the toxin attacked specifically biological men, and the author did mention that intersex individuals were affected differently, depending on the person. There is a trans* woman character, and she became infected, however. I will go ahead and spoil that because it could be a triggering thing, but at least the author didn't have characters misgender her and the protagonist tried in vain to get her access to hormones after the world essentially ended. I am unsure all in all how I feel about how that was handled, though.
Anyway, it was written with a bit of a thriller style, and there is quite some violence in this book, so if you don't like that then steer clear. If you are not a fan of time jumps, then you won't enjoy this either- most of the story goes back and forth from just before/during the pandemic to about 50 years later in the present day of the novel. I love time jumps however, and found them to be integrated well and really help tell the story.
Okay so the premise for this was interesting, if a bit extreme: toxins from a new species of moth basically kill off all the men in the world, leading to a total overhaul of society, one in which women are now the decision-makers. Any men that remain are strictly confined to group care homes in order to protect them from certain death. The protagonist is Mary, an older worker in one such care home who is one of the few women old enough to remember what life was like before.
Some of this book was really interesting to think about- like how much more peaceful society might actually be if women ran everything, or how relationships and sexuality would evolve if there are no men available to have relationships with, and how easily such a new society would relinquish its newfound power if the opportunity to give men immunity to the toxin became available.
That said, there were a lot of sark things in this book as well, from how sexual reproduction would be handled to how quickly men became dehumanized. Some of this left me with an ehhh feeling, like it seemed a bit of a stretch to assume that things could get so extremely sexist, but when you reverse it and think of our own society, there is so much of this stuff that happens already and we don't even notice it. I think the author wanted to kind of shock you and make you think about sexism in society by offering up this extreme role reversal scenario.
For those wondering, the toxin attacked specifically biological men, and the author did mention that intersex individuals were affected differently, depending on the person. There is a trans* woman character, and she became infected, however. I will go ahead and spoil that because it could be a triggering thing, but at least the author didn't have characters misgender her and the protagonist tried in vain to get her access to hormones after the world essentially ended. I am unsure all in all how I feel about how that was handled, though.
Anyway, it was written with a bit of a thriller style, and there is quite some violence in this book, so if you don't like that then steer clear. If you are not a fan of time jumps, then you won't enjoy this either- most of the story goes back and forth from just before/during the pandemic to about 50 years later in the present day of the novel. I love time jumps however, and found them to be integrated well and really help tell the story.
mandyist's review against another edition
5.0
There's something about certain dystopian or post-apocalyptic novels that draws me in, keeps me reading into the quiet hours of night and doesn't let me go until I'm finished. I knew I had to read Jane Hennigan's Moths when a fellow Goodreads reviewer John recommended it, stating that it was going onto his list of favourite dystopian novels alongside a favourite of mine A Boy, His Dog and the End of the World. I went in with such high expectations - usually a bad idea - but in this case, my impossible expectations were exceeded.
I lived, breathed and slept Moths in the two weeks that I listened to it and might have flown through it sooner had I been reading it. I took long lunch time walks out on the marsh as I listened to this dark tale about nature gone wrong, knowing that I needed to draw it out for as long as possible. I didn’t want to finish this book, could think of little else in those two weeks and needed to know what would come next.
Moths is set about forty years into our future, following a catastrophic time when the tiny toxic threads of a previously unknown species of moths begins to kill men or fill them with uncontrollable, murderous rage. Society breaks down, systems fail, changes are made to ensure that both men and women can survive in this strange new world. Most of all, sacrifices are made and controls put in place to ensure that men are not exposed to the unrelenting threat of moth fibres that permeate the entire world.
The future world of Moths is a deeply horrifying place but I’m hesitant to go into details of the structures and practices because I want other readers to go in as blind as possible, to experiences the twists and reveals as I did. I can say that it is at once feminist and misanthropic, that it reminded me of both The Handmaids Tale and The Testaments and that I’ll be reading both Vox and The Power now due to favourable comparisons with those books.
I can also say confidently that it is unique and inventive enough to stand out in the world of dystopian fiction and that, like John, I will be adding this to my list of favourite dystopian books ever. I am absolutely thrilled that the sequel Toxxic is coming out in July!
I felt that Hennigan portrayed the effects of long-term institutionalisation very well as well as the consequential infantalisation of those who are incarcerated, how decades of medication would render them as empty shells. I didn’t quite agree with the complete breakdown of the electric grid, mobile grid and internet but it is clear that this is an issue that will divide dystopian writers and fans for ages to come. Just how much will society collapse following a catastrophe?
I listened to Moths narrated by Juanita McMahon on Audiobooks.com. Juanita’s narration was superb and absolutely contributed to my enjoyment of Moths. I liked how she changed her voice for each of the characters, making them distinctive and nuanced. I definitely recommend listening to this one on audiobook.
I give Moths a superb five out of five stars and recommend it to all fans of dystopian, post-apocalyptic fiction. I cannot wait for the release of Toxxic and will be following Jane Hennigan's writing career with great interest.
I was gifted a copy of the audiobook by the author Jane Hennigan. I will always give an honest and true review no matter whether booked are gifted or purchased by me.
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I lived, breathed and slept Moths in the two weeks that I listened to it and might have flown through it sooner had I been reading it. I took long lunch time walks out on the marsh as I listened to this dark tale about nature gone wrong, knowing that I needed to draw it out for as long as possible. I didn’t want to finish this book, could think of little else in those two weeks and needed to know what would come next.
Moths is set about forty years into our future, following a catastrophic time when the tiny toxic threads of a previously unknown species of moths begins to kill men or fill them with uncontrollable, murderous rage. Society breaks down, systems fail, changes are made to ensure that both men and women can survive in this strange new world. Most of all, sacrifices are made and controls put in place to ensure that men are not exposed to the unrelenting threat of moth fibres that permeate the entire world.
The future world of Moths is a deeply horrifying place but I’m hesitant to go into details of the structures and practices because I want other readers to go in as blind as possible, to experiences the twists and reveals as I did. I can say that it is at once feminist and misanthropic, that it reminded me of both The Handmaids Tale and The Testaments and that I’ll be reading both Vox and The Power now due to favourable comparisons with those books.
I can also say confidently that it is unique and inventive enough to stand out in the world of dystopian fiction and that, like John, I will be adding this to my list of favourite dystopian books ever. I am absolutely thrilled that the sequel Toxxic is coming out in July!
I felt that Hennigan portrayed the effects of long-term institutionalisation very well as well as the consequential infantalisation of those who are incarcerated, how decades of medication would render them as empty shells. I didn’t quite agree with the complete breakdown of the electric grid, mobile grid and internet but it is clear that this is an issue that will divide dystopian writers and fans for ages to come. Just how much will society collapse following a catastrophe?
I listened to Moths narrated by Juanita McMahon on Audiobooks.com. Juanita’s narration was superb and absolutely contributed to my enjoyment of Moths. I liked how she changed her voice for each of the characters, making them distinctive and nuanced. I definitely recommend listening to this one on audiobook.
I give Moths a superb five out of five stars and recommend it to all fans of dystopian, post-apocalyptic fiction. I cannot wait for the release of Toxxic and will be following Jane Hennigan's writing career with great interest.
I was gifted a copy of the audiobook by the author Jane Hennigan. I will always give an honest and true review no matter whether booked are gifted or purchased by me.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
creativeflow's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
rhiandroid_'s review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
wviellevoye's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
evilzombieszack's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
holly_studies's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 out of 5
Picked this book up on a whim at the store knowing nothing about it. This book was a really fascinating dystopian world with some rich characters. There were some minor editing issues but overall it was a thrilling read
Picked this book up on a whim at the store knowing nothing about it. This book was a really fascinating dystopian world with some rich characters. There were some minor editing issues but overall it was a thrilling read