A review by 5aru
Matrix by Lauren Groff

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A study in character with little plot and lots of vibes, Matrix is a deeply fascinating look into the life of a woman who learned to turn her strength into realized ambition, even through the limitations imposed upon her. Through this reinvented, little-known historical figure, Groff builds the image of a complex and fire-hearted woman through excellent, insightful writing. Driven by passion, Marie is consumed by visions of grandeur and a faith that goes against the grain of religious teachings; yet she is nonetheless guided in all things by the deep love that she learns to foster for her fellow abbey sisters — who, in turn, become sisters in much more than a mere title. The novel thus becomes a multi-faceted rendering of a community sheltered from the patriarchal, masculine world of the time, as well as of how womanhood and sisterhood grow within the confines of faith.
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