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A review by lillanaa
Master Class by Christina Dalcher
3.0
This book was received as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book had... A lot going on. I wasn't sure about it at first, seeming a little too similar to the tropes played with in so many other similar books. I've never read the other author's book, Vox, but after reading this I think I'm probably going to pass. Dystopia fiction is one of those things that's difficult to nail, and this kind of... Tries? But doesn't hit the mark enough. I'm unsure how society would change that quickly, without checks and balances, the entire concept seems like it's trying to be something but falls flat because it's just so out of the realm of possibility.
There's a lot of things in here that were decent, the characters were okay despite a few of them seeming far too outlandish for something that's supposed to be based in a current reality/realistic world. The protagonist, Elena, is... Okay. She's just alright. Despite being a smart person, she acts like a blank slate for most of the book, and seems to blame her odd behaviors on "just being a mother", using it as a scapegoat for her absurdity. I can handle that, though, considering we have other characters who are more stereotype than character.
Ultimately, this one's definitely going to be popular, but... It's too similar to other things I've read recently. It has the "Handmaid's Tale without the religion" vibe, wanting to be more than what it is, and the fact that they pulled a martyr complex out of it kind of makes me upset.
This book had... A lot going on. I wasn't sure about it at first, seeming a little too similar to the tropes played with in so many other similar books. I've never read the other author's book, Vox, but after reading this I think I'm probably going to pass. Dystopia fiction is one of those things that's difficult to nail, and this kind of... Tries? But doesn't hit the mark enough. I'm unsure how society would change that quickly, without checks and balances, the entire concept seems like it's trying to be something but falls flat because it's just so out of the realm of possibility.
There's a lot of things in here that were decent, the characters were okay despite a few of them seeming far too outlandish for something that's supposed to be based in a current reality/realistic world. The protagonist, Elena, is... Okay. She's just alright. Despite being a smart person, she acts like a blank slate for most of the book, and seems to blame her odd behaviors on "just being a mother", using it as a scapegoat for her absurdity. I can handle that, though, considering we have other characters who are more stereotype than character.
Ultimately, this one's definitely going to be popular, but... It's too similar to other things I've read recently. It has the "Handmaid's Tale without the religion" vibe, wanting to be more than what it is, and the fact that they pulled a martyr complex out of it kind of makes me upset.