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speculationss 's review for:
Westward Women
by Alice Martin
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A Bold and Haunting Debut
This bold debut offers a chilling commentary on misogyny through the lens of a strange epidemic in the 1970s, an affliction that only affects women. The so called Westward Women develop a burning itch, both literal and symbolic, that compels them to run. As they slip further from themselves, the line between illness and awakening begins to blur.
While the opening chapters start at a slower pace, the narrative quickly accelerates, pulling readers into a harrowing journey that’s as emotional as it is surreal. The use of a second person point of view is especially powerful, placing the reader directly in the mind of a narrator as she begins to succumb to the illness. Her descent is intimate and unsettling, made even more haunting as she watches others around her unravel.
At the heart of the novel are three intertwining narratives: a journalist fleeing her past while chasing down the elusive Piper, a mysterious man who gathers the sick and leads them westward; a girl frantically searching for her best friend as she descends into madness; and a woman quietly falling ill herself, caught in the momentum of something far larger and more terrifying than she can fully comprehend.
The story builds to a gripping finale that leaves readers questioning what truly happened, both to the characters and to themselves as they turn the final page. With a narrative voice that lingers and themes that bite deep, this is a debut that marks its territory boldly and beautifully.
Recommended for readers who appreciated the eerie atmosphere and emotional resonance of I Who Have Never Known Men.
This bold debut offers a chilling commentary on misogyny through the lens of a strange epidemic in the 1970s, an affliction that only affects women. The so called Westward Women develop a burning itch, both literal and symbolic, that compels them to run. As they slip further from themselves, the line between illness and awakening begins to blur.
While the opening chapters start at a slower pace, the narrative quickly accelerates, pulling readers into a harrowing journey that’s as emotional as it is surreal. The use of a second person point of view is especially powerful, placing the reader directly in the mind of a narrator as she begins to succumb to the illness. Her descent is intimate and unsettling, made even more haunting as she watches others around her unravel.
At the heart of the novel are three intertwining narratives: a journalist fleeing her past while chasing down the elusive Piper, a mysterious man who gathers the sick and leads them westward; a girl frantically searching for her best friend as she descends into madness; and a woman quietly falling ill herself, caught in the momentum of something far larger and more terrifying than she can fully comprehend.
The story builds to a gripping finale that leaves readers questioning what truly happened, both to the characters and to themselves as they turn the final page. With a narrative voice that lingers and themes that bite deep, this is a debut that marks its territory boldly and beautifully.
Recommended for readers who appreciated the eerie atmosphere and emotional resonance of I Who Have Never Known Men.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Trafficking, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Murder
Minor: Drug use, Miscarriage