Reviews

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas

charlotte112's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I loved the backdrop to this book of America in the wake of women's reproductive rights being completely controlled and is very current considering what is being discussed in some states. However I did wish it was discussed more and I wanted it to feature in all of the POVs more than it did. I loved the character of Gin I can believe someone like her existing in a world where women have hard choices to make. I felt for the daughter and I enjoyed her POV, but I found the wife and biographer ones harder to get into. The reference to the ice explorer were interesting but felt like add ons rather than actually adding to the story itself. It is an I teresting concept and I enjoyed the subject matter but more could have been explored. The ending was also a bit flat. 

drridareads's review against another edition

3.0

Edit May 2019: All the abortion bans in some US states reminds me of this book. Everyone keeps talking about how it reminds them of The Handmaid's Tale but it reminded me of this. And I feel like bumping up my rating to 3 stars. This book is still weird but it's very relevant.

-----------------------------------------------

I picked this book up because it was nominated for best sci-fi of 2018 and also cause it sounded intriguing..

So I don't really see this book as sci-fi, It's dystopian. This story is set in US where the Personhood Amendment has granted rights to embryos and so abortion and IVF has become illegal, also women cannot be single parents..

This sounded intriguing to me, since it's so realistic like I have absolutely no problem in imagining this world.. The idea that they took away rights from living breathing women and gave to unborn embryos is not implausible..

But that's where it stopped being fascinating for me.. I mean the concept was cool but I was not a huge fan of the delivery. This kind of writing style is definitely not for me, I honestly found it weird.. the amount of times vaginas were mentioned, and talked about their smell too; it was too much info..

But I can say for sure I've never read anything like this (but that might be cause I haven't exactly read that many books)..

I wasn't that much into the characters except for Gin. Everyone just sort of fell flat for me, in the sense that I wanted to relate to them but it was so emotionally distant.. Gin was interesting and I was invested in her storyline. She was kind of like this mystical character with gifts..

This is not a bad book, it's a weird book.. It's a book that I did not click that well with..however I do think that people with different reading tastes might enjoy it more.. It has some interesting concepts..

I forgot to rate this. I think it felt like 2 stars..

--------------------------------------

This has got to be the one of weirdest books I've ever read but also kind of interesting..
Better RTC soon..

protoman21's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 I feel like I would have gotten more out of this if I was a woman.

belleohara30_'s review against another edition

3.0

started out very slow, the characters and the plot gets better in the last 150 pages. however, the beginning is slightly hard to follow since you don't know who is who yet.

hilaryannbrown's review against another edition

4.0

It was a surreal experience to read a dystopian novel imagining a future in which roe vs. wade has been overturned...now that roe vs. wade has been overturned

bookishbeccahale's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

brianagalluccio's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

shoba's review against another edition

3.0

What fascinates you? 

1.  How cold stops water
2.  Patterns ice makes on the fur of a dead sled dog
3.  The fact that Eivor Minervudottir lost two of her fingers to frostbite

kirstenwis's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

gwend's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

Quick read. Great writing, unique, fully fleshed out characters. Loved the mender in the woods! All male characters were inept and more two dimensional. Subject matter gives rage, of course. A terrifying and kinda close world. Also why are these teenage girls not on birth control? I mean that would have stopped the plot, but I felt it should have been discussed. I'd like to read the author write on other themes.