Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Power by Naomi Alderman

330 reviews

cristinareading's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

First things first I want to say if you think this is a feminist book I very much disagree. This is a book about how women suddenly got the power to use electrical force and then become inhumane as a way of revenge towards men. As a feminist, this was difficult to read without getting sad. 

This book is well written but I base my star rating on how much I enjoy reading something and this was a difficult book to read. It had a very sad way of seeing the world. 
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paigerini's review

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dark reflective tense medium-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

4.5

I read this for class as a part of a book club with some of my classmates.

This book has multi-faceted, dynamic characters, a captivating plot, and an interesting concept of "What if only women had electricity powers?" This story shows how society would change (and fall apart) if women became the "stronger" sex, with all the political, social, and religious turmoil that comes along with it.

I've heard that some people criticize this book for being too pessimistic or portraying women as too destructive, but I believe that is the point. This portrayal is supposed to be exaggerated to further enhance how sexism plays a part in both our society and this apocalyptic one.

For me, this was an amazing read. I like that it is abrasive and controversial, as some of the best books strike up the best conversations. I should check out some of Alderman's other books.
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sbox's review

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

3.25

Definitely a gripping book! 
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aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.5

Check out content/trigger warnings (I don't think the ones I chose are all inclusive of what is in the book so look up all the reviews that have the warnings) because some stuff can be quite graphic. 
Overall liked it but didn't love it. I didn't really care for the ending but enjoyed the overall idea of the book.
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sarahg_73's review

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challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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donomak's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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zoboomafoo9's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

This was riveting. It’s terrifyingly funny at times and really puts a lens up to society. The gender flipping and the way the world responds felt so real and intense. It’s a difficult read in some ways, definitely some hard scenes to read. But wow, that was something I’ll think about for a long time. 
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noomlum's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A really interesting take on sexism, feminism, and power. The world devolves in a power struggle based in fear and revenge, with the concept of innate softness and the maternalistic nature of women being flipped on its head. The writing makes this all so easy to digest and visualise, and I was hooked to the characters throughout. A must read.
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hsantaflo's review

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dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I loved the premise of the book, but I think the execution was lacking. It was clever in many ways, but I didn’t find myself connecting with the characters much and then I think the author went so far to drive home the point that she swung a little too far around 
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amelia_rose_20's review

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

3/10 | Naomi Alderman's “The Power” was a major letdown for me. The writing felt like it was lacking a clear vision of its final form. The book’s underlying argument that “absolute power corrupts absolutely”, suggesting that women, given power, would be as (and even more) corrupt, violent and cruel as men, was disappointing and something I disagree with. 
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