A review by librarianryan
The Chaperone by M Hendrix

Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.

challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.0

 

If you have ever watched Hulu’s the Handmaid‘s Tale, then you have the exact feeling of this book. This book reads as if it’s a continuation or companion to that series. Women are supposed to be subservient. Teen girls are not allowed to be around men and they are always to have a chaperone at all times. The book pulls you in from the beginning knowing that one of the chaperones has died. It could cause problems for her charge and the family for which she works. Unfortunately, for the first half of the book nothing really comes of it. It’s about our main character getting a new chaperone and the new chaperone, almost being an emancipator, trying to teach her that the world has taught her to be afraid of men and that she really shouldn’t be. It felt like Offred (from Handmaids tale show) didn’t get what she wanted, went back to Gilead. To give the children the freedom she didn’t have.  Overall, this book was boring. I DNFed it at 40%. The audiobook was dull and lifeless. It didn’t seem to be new, or have a unique spin, or anything to keep the reader’s interest.