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barelycompetent 's review for:
The Quickening
by Talulah Riley
dark
tense
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Who is this written for?
Even after having read this book I cannot tell you. It is not the kind of book with a message that would be useful to any gender. Honestly, it doesn't have a message at all.
It started so interestingly with the potential to have a powerful message about the harm of Patriarchy and the harm it does, but it turned out to just be a misogynistic mess with pro patriarchy undertones.
Art is a disgusting waste of potential and could have been an examination of toxic masculinity. Victoria might as well not have existed.
As the book skipped over many nuances in society, like lesbianism, people of colour, (I know victoria and her mum are black but they might as well have been white Oxford attendees like the rest of them) any genders other than men and women, lower classes, (again Victoria might as well have been upper class) I'm not going to go into that either.
The "It's him or me" being part of the problem ending is pathetic and doesn't add to the story. Victoria could have been a great way to discuss intersectionality, or the effect of long-time abuse but just ended up being a tragic figure with no consequence in the story.
The assault scene is just a genderswapped version of real-life harassment and doesn't examine any of the system through which this kind of thing happens, it doesn't take into account the differences in power, either systemic or physical. and the fact that this society is so new would not have been enough time for this kind of sentiment to flourish in people who grew up in the old system, this behaviour and entitlement is something people grow up with and flourishes because people accept it as truth from young ages where critical thought and empathy are still being developed.
The "Nest" scenes were strangely misogynistic torture porn.
The end is juvenile and patronising. It doesn't really send any kind of message or provide any satisfying conclusion to what had been set up previously.
This is such a strange form of wasted potential. There were so many things about our society it could have examined or critiqued but fell short on all fronts. It didn't seem to realise how much of it is extremely or insidiously problematic. It seems to me that the author doesn't quite know what she was trying to say about patriarchy or misogyny and doesn't understand the function of the dystopia genre. I had half expected and would have respected it if it had been a warning about swinging too far into the "feminine" in an attempt to get away from patriarchy. Instead, it has misused the term matriarchy to ascribe it to this world of control and dictatorship.
<b>In short, this book will do far more harm than good, especially to people not able to see the many harmful things in this book.</b>
Even after having read this book I cannot tell you. It is not the kind of book with a message that would be useful to any gender. Honestly, it doesn't have a message at all.
It started so interestingly with the potential to have a powerful message about the harm of Patriarchy and the harm it does, but it turned out to just be a misogynistic mess with pro patriarchy undertones.
Art is a disgusting waste of potential and could have been an examination of toxic masculinity. Victoria might as well not have existed.
As the book skipped over many nuances in society, like lesbianism, people of colour, (I know victoria and her mum are black but they might as well have been white Oxford attendees like the rest of them) any genders other than men and women, lower classes, (again Victoria might as well have been upper class) I'm not going to go into that either.
The assault scene is just a genderswapped version of real-life harassment and doesn't examine any of the system through which this kind of thing happens, it doesn't take into account the differences in power, either systemic or physical. and the fact that this society is so new would not have been enough time for this kind of sentiment to flourish in people who grew up in the old system, this behaviour and entitlement is something people grow up with and flourishes because people accept it as truth from young ages where critical thought and empathy are still being developed.
The "Nest" scenes were strangely misogynistic torture porn.
The end is juvenile and patronising. It doesn't really send any kind of message or provide any satisfying conclusion to what had been set up previously.
This is such a strange form of wasted potential. There were so many things about our society it could have examined or critiqued but fell short on all fronts. It didn't seem to realise how much of it is extremely or insidiously problematic. It seems to me that the author doesn't quite know what she was trying to say about patriarchy or misogyny and doesn't understand the function of the dystopia genre. I had half expected and would have respected it if it had been a warning about swinging too far into the "feminine" in an attempt to get away from patriarchy. Instead, it has misused the term matriarchy to ascribe it to this world of control and dictatorship.
<b>In short, this book will do far more harm than good, especially to people not able to see the many harmful things in this book.</b>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Classism
Minor: Genocide, Excrement