A review by esmartd
Madam: A Novel by Phoebe Wynne

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

This book was frustrating. The setting was very interesting, but not ever fully fleshed out, which was also true for most of the characters. There was a lot of potential but ultimately didn’t get anywhere interesting in my opinion. I don’t feel like it said anything significant about feminism which is what I think it was going for. 

Rose was such a pushover in so many ways, and I didn’t really understand her behavior most of the time. I was especially upset when it was suggested that the girl who had died the previous year had died during an abortion and Rose didn’t push back on that at all. Dying during an abortion is not a normal or common thing and the fact that she took that art face value was very troubling to me. Even in the 90s, the daughter of an activist feminist would have known better I think. When she spoke out vs when she didn’t was really confusing. I could tell she was starting to go crazy but it was just hard to understand her.
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