Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Vox

I was very excited for this book - I'm obsessed with language and linguistics - but the execution...left much to be desired.

My biggest gripe with this book was the pacing. With 326 pages split into 80 chapters, the narrative felt very choppy - this was occasionally effective when moving between the present and flashbacks, but overall it just made it harder to follow the story, especially as the plot picked up. Speaking of the plot, the ending was an absolute mess. The story fizzled out in a confusing collection of scenes that we are mostly told about rather than shown, in which

a character is dramatically killed off - conveniently fixing a romance plot point.

I have certain expectations of contemporary social dystopian novels, especially those aimed at adults. One of those expectations is a certain degree of Intersectionality. Dalcher includes gay and lesbian (side) characters and examines what happens to them under the Pure regime, but fails to include trans people - which I would be more forgiving of if she hadn't chosen to have her protagonist use the acronym 'LGBTQIA'. If you're just going to focus on the L and G, why even mention the rest?
I was annoyed further by the fact that Dalcher is clearly aware of the issue of intersectionality - halfway through the book,

the protagonist meets a black woman who predicts that she and her mixed race marriage will be treated more harshly by the Pure regime in the future.

"Oh, good," I thought, "we'll see more about how other social groups are treated." It is then never mentioned ever again.
I'm not saying that I wanted to see black or trans people (or any other marginalised group) being treated badly in fiction, but it felt disingenuous that a plot device rooted so deeply in Conservative American values was for all intents and purposes merely sexist and homophobic, and not racist and transphobic.

(I also found the way that Jackie, a lesbian feminist protestor, was presented...a bit icky. "Feminism is good, but if you're too shouty and don't dress nicely then don't be surprised when you're branded as hysterical!" And don't get me started on the love confession flashback. Classic lesbians, amirite?)

Overall this book felt more like an exploration of the science and philosophy of the concept than an actual novel. The first few chapters of world building were very engaging but once the plot kicked it, it all fell apart.

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