Reviews - After Dark | The StoryGraph

72 reviews for:

After Dark

Jayne Cowie

3.71 AVERAGE

saaima's review against another edition

3.75

tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

lensa's review against another edition

3.5

challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

lari_tou's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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: Yes

timsamoff's review against another edition

3.0

I would’ve rated this one higher if not for the blatant agenda. Honestly, this might have been more effective if the same story was written from a man’s point of view.

rolereverser's review against another edition

3.0

I was led to this book via my interest in gynarchy and it had an interesting angle of a future world where men's violence towards women is no longer tolerated and leads to a tagging system stopping men going outside between 7pm and 7am. My score is over-inflated, but to it's credit the story kept me gripped and second guessing who the dead body will be (revealed at the start so hardly a spoiler) and who the killer would be. There are uncomfortable moments throughout due to the younger generations naivety (curfew having been in place for most of their lives, so not being experienced in how life was for women before this time). The writing is sometimes straightforward and simplistic, but this may just suit the style of novel and serve the agenda. Make no bones, there is a morale to this story which is made explicit at the end:

"Men had been restricted by domestic violence laws, and by Curfew, and by tags, and it wasn’t enough. It was time to find something that was. Male violence had to be stopped. Whatever it took".

The daughter of the main protagonist is an annoying teenager, but this serves as a main crux of the book, and you only hope that her fall through experience and learning won't be too great or damaging to others. You also hope in reading it that she will come through to the other side a wiser woman. In other words, Cowie does make you care about the characters.

How do I feel reading this as a man, considering my sex is not cast in glowing colours. I think it is entirely fitting, and though it would have been nice to have one redeeming male, the selfishness and attitudes of the men portrayed are not inaccurate and I would not be surprised about any of their actions happening in real life.

Would a curfew ever happen for men in real life? Of course not, but women can have the dream of ever being able to walk safely at night.