Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

The Power by Naomi Alderman

52 reviews

phantomgecko's review

challenging dark medium-paced

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

1.0

Yet again, I find myself asking why I even finished a book. This premise had potential, but the book is vile.

Imagine Lord of the Flies but on a worldwide scale. The absolute worst humanity has to offer. Every character is a sociopath (to varying degrees). It says people are essentially bad. Specifically women are essentially bad.

I know hyperbole is used to make a point, but this was just disgusting. Like, some possible morals of this story are power corrupts, or feminism is about equality and not supremacy. I guess. 

In this story, apparently when women gain physical power over men, they lose all sense of morals, get significantly more stupid, and suddenly super into cults and cocaine. You can argue, "not all women" in this story. It does mention that not everyone is into the sadistic hellscape that's created. But like, obviously enough women that earth turns into a sadistic hellscape.

Also, offensive that women are in power for a mere five years or so before they blow up the entire planet. We made it through decades of the cold war with "men in charge." It perpetuates the hateful idea that women are "too emotional" and not to be trusted with diplomacy or rational thought.

Would some people abuse a power like this? Yes. The revenge stories ring plausible. But to switch all the way over to being "as bad as men" have ever been (IN FIVE YEARS) is pessimistic garbage. Author obviously has no faith in humanity. Depressing, nihilistic bs.

Like...women don't all secretly hate men. In reality, many women have healthy relationships with men either as friends or lovers. Women aren't just pretending to like men because they're being subjugated or whatever. I cannot fully express how detestable Alderman's vision of women is.

There are multiple rape scenes, one of them explicit. Again, I get that a point is being made, but it's vile.

I'm giving this the benefit of the doubt re: the voice in Mother Eve's head. Girl is schizophrenic and not being visited by a higher power. The implications otherwise are just really nasty.

And finally, I believe there is a balance to be found in profanity. For maximum effect, it should be used strategically. "But that's how people talk" --I don't care. In fiction, characters don't always talk the way real people do. And having the f word repeated willy nilly honestly lends a childish tone to the book. Like the author is a kid that's so excited to learn a new swear. Grow up. Learn nuance.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Sexual assault, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Confinement, Drug abuse, Sexism, Body horror, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, War, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, and Trafficking

outofthepinksky's review

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Rape, Child abuse, Sexism, Pedophilia, Misogyny, and Bullying

readinbythesea's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

I mean, wow. I don’t know what to think. This book made me feel so disgusted with the human race. Whoever is on top will eventually abuse their power, and it’s disgusting. The violence descriptions, the rapes, the deaths, so futile, and as is said in the book, happens just because it can. It was a difficult novel to finish because of it. I only realized at the end that the archeological finds weren’t from our timeline, but that this book was written from a future point of view (because I skipped over the letter in the beginning oops) but I thought that was really clever. Could tell the Atwood influence there since something similar happens in Handmaid’s Tale. What was disappointing was that the only solution was a Noah’s Arc situation. I mean, our world is fucked up, not to the book’s extent but still, war is not a solution. Would have been more appreciative if the book gave me a glimmer of hope for a future equal society at the end, but maybe that’s too much to hope for in such books…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual harassment, Torture, Sexual violence, Murder, and Pedophilia

alexandramiller's review

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, War, Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Death, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Genocide, and Child abuse

Moderate: Suicide

ktbeepboop's review

Graphic SA scene with a minor. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Rape

maddiemooney's review

dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Alcohol, Confinement, Body shaming, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Body horror, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Trafficking

kayleigh214's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Racism, Pedophilia, Murder, Slavery, War, Violence, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Hate crime, Gun violence, Genocide, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Rape, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Blood, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Child abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment

greenmind's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.25

Strange one. "What is natural?" 
I liked the premise, the structure and the prose style itself. But I'm not necessarily sure that a matriarchy would behave like this so I struggled a bit with the idea - it's a book inside a book though, so maybe it works better in that regard - it's written by a fictional man, so maybe his idea of a matriarchy can only be considered from a patriarchal fantasy? Or maybe it really is that hard to imagine a true matriarchy which could function differently than what we ourselves know after thousands of years... It made me think about the ideas brought up in here a lot though, so I think it's successful speculative fiction, in that sense. Personally, I found it lacking believability at times and it also grossed me out in a way which surprises me because I've read a lot of disgusting writing which hasn't caused that reaction. I'm just convinced women would gang-rape, slave-own and murder men, women and children for fun and with glee in the way that men regularly behave in warzones. I think the power would be wielded differently, and we can see how in the handful of matriarchal cultures around today or documented. Mothers still love and protect their sons, but the boys are socialised very differently and the older men behave differently within that... but I'm still unsure what I make of all of this. The "end notes" chapter from the female writer to the "male writer" character of the fictional book we've just read say much of the sorts of thing which run through my mind... but I'm unconvinced still, even though I feel made fun of by the author for that in a way. I still think the fact men don't get pregnant and give life makes them more likely to want to control women as a resource for reproduction all the more - and you can see that trend with the push towards normalising surrogacy and artificial womb science, in their interfering superstition in female healthcare, the power structures and beliefs of all major religions. The power isn't so literal as a jolt of physical electricity, but more the creator power which woman demonstrate when they grow new humans. Men are very uncomfortable with women controlling their own reproductions, as this would control all reproduction globally. One could argue that the effort to cut women from motherhood through tech and brothel-market capitalism hints at where essential power really lies, but the story has no space for mothers and babies here. It is certainly all very thought-provoking. The Father and The Son makes less sense to me than The Mother and Her Children in terms of creation myths, but... that's patriarchy for you. I’ve never heard of an equivalence of the violence men perpetrate towards women and female children daily being something women do when they are able to. I find those who argue that “woman totally would” are revealing themselves as naive about the reality of sex differences in crime statistics - 98% male for violent crimes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Ableism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, War, Forced institutionalization, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Torture, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

nikitagroot's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Classism, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Death

Moderate: Torture, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gun violence, Murder, and Blood

Minor: Slavery, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Religious bigotry, Drug use, and Kidnapping

jojopotato's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

5.0

5/5, 10/10, all the stars. An incredible deep dive into life and a world if women held power, with a little extra evolutionary help (I’ll leave it at that). A really interesting discussion about the focus of male or paternal figures in history/religion, and how we particularly glance over or don’t give as much relevance or importance to women or maternal figures in history/religion (e.g., Mary, Fatima, Gotami, Rebekah). Also really good discussion on what power is and how we as humans handle power and make decisions regardless of gender. 
I really enjoyed the four main characters and following their story from chapter to chapter. Alderman is truly an incredible story teller and this book completely pulled me in and captured my attention. I could not stop telling people about how it made me think and reflect and almost see the world a bit differently.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Gore, Body horror, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, and Violence

Look I put a lot of content warnings on here, but this is a book about the shifting of power and what it would look like if women became more powerful than men. It essentially leads to world war and talks about the importance of understanding how power and money and violence lead to destruction. No matter who is holding that power.