A review by sorry_imbooked
Outlawed by Anna North

adventurous dark hopeful reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I loved the idea of this book, its focus on women and trans people trying to make better lives for themselves and others like them, but I found the execution rather bland. Outlawed follows a young woman, Ada, who was forced from her home into a convent because she is unable to conceive a child in a world where women's worth is tied to their childbearing. Determined to find out the reason for barrenness and to help other women like her, Ada leaves the convent to join the notorious Kid and their Hole in the Wall Gang - a gang of other people turned out as women viewed as somehow defective. Ada's goal is to stay with the Gang until she can afford to travel to a fellow midwife who has written a book on women's medical and biological disorders that Ada respects but finds insufficient.

Despite her willingness to become an outlaw, Ada seems to lack (or refuse) agency until nearly the end of the book. The majority of her companions remain underdeveloped and fairly one-dimensional as much of the text is focused on Ada's internal worries and wonderings. As it was, my favorite character was Ada's horse, Amity.  The pacing of the story was irregular and I frequently drifted out of the book. That said, I always picked it back up.

I did really appreciate the timeliness of this book; these are issues that women still face and will for many years to come. The descriptions of the land and settings were rich and lovely - I could picture them vividly. I just ended up wanting more from the characters and the story than I felt I got.
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