A review by cutlet
The Power by Naomi Alderman

challenging dark tense fast-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

4.5

The book's table of contents is a countdown, which immediately starts the story off with a high level of tension. The story unravels through different characters' eyes, and they slowly come together. I was fascinated by the decisions people made and the way events were portrayed. It was a bit challenging to read at times, due to parallels with the real world as it is now in early 2021. 
Specifically, when characters begin to realize that this is the new world, things have changed permanently and there is no going back to a previous "normal", that struck me as all too familiar. There was also a moment when a politician is projected to lose an election, and exit polls agreed with that prediction, only to find that they had inarguably won. I had to stop reading and look up when the book was published - October 27, 2016 - because it felt all too similar, but perhaps Alderman was just able to predict a few pieces of the future.
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