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A review by neonstarlight
XVI by Julia Karr
5.0
This is one of my favorite books of all time!!
It's the story of a teen girl in a future version of the US where every girl has to get a tattoo that says XVI on her wrist when she turns 16. Society is even more stratified by class than it is now, with people actually being designated at certain tiers. There are few ways to escape the tier you are born in to. Once a girl turns 16, she is basically considered fair game for sexual assault, even if it turns into murder. There is a group of people called the non-cons that exist underground, trying to overthrow the oppressive government and structure.
I am an activist and a feminist, and although I can see where people get the idea that this is victim-blaming or shaming, I think that it's actually quite a feminist book. The writing itself isn't the best I've ever read, but the setting is fantastic because it is believable and that is scary as hell! I can see our society going the way of the one presented in this book (and in many ways, it's halfway there already). Rape is so commonplace and women are so oppressed in this series, that the concept of teaching men not to rape instead of teaching women not to get raped is barely conceivable.
I love stories where a small group of rebels take on their oppressors, and this is a great example of that. It really shows, in a fictional way, that the actions of a few dedicated people can make great changes in the world.
The sequel to this, Truth, is just as fantastic as XVI.
It's the story of a teen girl in a future version of the US where every girl has to get a tattoo that says XVI on her wrist when she turns 16. Society is even more stratified by class than it is now, with people actually being designated at certain tiers. There are few ways to escape the tier you are born in to. Once a girl turns 16, she is basically considered fair game for sexual assault, even if it turns into murder. There is a group of people called the non-cons that exist underground, trying to overthrow the oppressive government and structure.
I am an activist and a feminist, and although I can see where people get the idea that this is victim-blaming or shaming, I think that it's actually quite a feminist book. The writing itself isn't the best I've ever read, but the setting is fantastic because it is believable and that is scary as hell! I can see our society going the way of the one presented in this book (and in many ways, it's halfway there already). Rape is so commonplace and women are so oppressed in this series, that the concept of teaching men not to rape instead of teaching women not to get raped is barely conceivable.
I love stories where a small group of rebels take on their oppressors, and this is a great example of that. It really shows, in a fictional way, that the actions of a few dedicated people can make great changes in the world.
The sequel to this, Truth, is just as fantastic as XVI.