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A review by ninaevan
The Power by Naomi Alderman
dark
reflective
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
4.25
Woah. This is one of those books that you read and instantly know it’s gonna change your world. I was gripped from the start and couldn’t put it down. The characters were great- I loved how there were so many different perspectives on the story and each was equally intriguing. The plot and thesis behind this book is so complex that I don’t think I could do it justice in this format, but given the time I could probably write a book of my my own on it or teach a class or something… definitely worth a reread or two to really unpack what’s going on here. All good things.
The only ways I would want to challenge this story to push it a little further would be by asking to explore how the rage and violence of women might have varied in different cultures or races or how the culture/race of the men impacted the way they were treated… Also, I want to know more about the role of non-traditional gender in this society- how we’re Trans women treated? Where did non-binary people fit into the social order? I understand that the physical power is sex-based, but I want to know how gender identity played a role too. Though the book is already treading very precarious ground here so I understand why Alderman may not have wanted to cross too many boundaries.
I loved the format, the countdown, the illustrations, the debate of the book within the book etc.
My only last comment for prospective readers is to heed the content warnings! This books is very graphic about many sensitive issues so please go into it prepared for a challenging read.
My scoring:
5.00 | = everyone in the world must read this book
4.75 | = between 4.5 and 5
4.50 | = dessert island book
4.25 | = between 4 and 4.5
4.00 | = great, solid, recommendable book
3.75 | = almost a 4, but not quite
3.50 | = not a 4, but I had a good time
3.25 | = rough patches, but not bad
3.00 | = meh, read-able but nothing to write home about
2.75 | = between a 2.5 and 3
2.50 | = there’s something I liked here but it wasn’t enough to be good
2.25 | = between a 2 and 2.5
2.00 | = not good and there was nothing I liked
1.00 | = bad
The only ways I would want to challenge this story to push it a little further would be by asking to explore how the rage and violence of women might have varied in different cultures or races or how the culture/race of the men impacted the way they were treated… Also, I want to know more about the role of non-traditional gender in this society- how we’re Trans women treated? Where did non-binary people fit into the social order? I understand that the physical power is sex-based, but I want to know how gender identity played a role too. Though the book is already treading very precarious ground here so I understand why Alderman may not have wanted to cross too many boundaries.
I loved the format, the countdown, the illustrations, the debate of the book within the book etc.
My only last comment for prospective readers is to heed the content warnings! This books is very graphic about many sensitive issues so please go into it prepared for a challenging read.
My scoring:
5.00 | = everyone in the world must read this book
4.75 | = between 4.5 and 5
4.50 | = dessert island book
4.25 | = between 4 and 4.5
4.00 | = great, solid, recommendable book
3.75 | = almost a 4, but not quite
3.50 | = not a 4, but I had a good time
3.25 | = rough patches, but not bad
3.00 | = meh, read-able but nothing to write home about
2.75 | = between a 2.5 and 3
2.50 | = there’s something I liked here but it wasn’t enough to be good
2.25 | = between a 2 and 2.5
2.00 | = not good and there was nothing I liked
1.00 | = bad
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Gore, War, Trafficking, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence