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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Before this book came out, someone said that unlike 1984, it actually had a chance of being a good book because it wasn’t written by George Orwell. Now that I’ve finished it, I can confirm that it is indeed better than 1984. My biggest issue with Julia is that it has a hard time standing on its own as a book. Many of the powerful moments in this book are taken straight from 1984, which is to be expected since it is a retelling. However, some of these moments were more impactful in George Orwell’s book which left me feeling slightly disappointed. Though seeing the world of Oceania through the eyes of a woman was a fascinating experience and there was a lot to learn about from this book. Over all, this book is a great complement to 1984, and sometimes even surpasses it, but it struggles to stand on its own. 3/5
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Have I read the original? No. But does that matter? Also no, this was great. Terrifying, but great. Cause while it's a cautionary tale for everyone, I appreciate the reframing to consider the different experience women have in this society.
Also, I never really actively thought about it before, but I truly cannot fathom that someone read this book and thought "Big Brother would make great reality TV". This is the darkest timeline. Well, after the actual 1984 timeline ig.
Also, I never really actively thought about it before, but I truly cannot fathom that someone read this book and thought "Big Brother would make great reality TV". This is the darkest timeline. Well, after the actual 1984 timeline ig.
medium-paced
Will definitely come back to this book. DNF’d because I was so busy and wasn’t invested in the plot
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Truly enriches the original, delving deeper into its themes through a feminist lens. Truly brings Julia to life and only proves how worryingly relevant Orwell’s commentary is in today’s world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes