A review by serendipitysbooks
When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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? It's complicated

4.25

 When She Woke had me thoroughly absorbed from the get-go. It’s set in a dystopian near future where the lines between church and state have been virtually eradicated, and the world-building is fabulous. And all too plausible. It’s almost a cross between The Scarlet Letter and The Handmaid’s Tale. Hannah has been convicted of murder for having an abortion. Her sentence is to be “chromed” - have her skin colour genetically altered for a period of sixteen years and a thirty day period of imprisonment, total isolation in her cell during which her every move is broadcast to the public. I enjoyed following Hannah’s journey, especially because she was proactive, not passive. As always I appreciated seeing religious hypocrisy highlighted. I felt that the first half of the book was the strongest, and I wasn’t convinced by an event or two in the latter third. But overall a fabulous if frightening read. 
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