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aqueenreads 's review for:
Blue Ticket
by Sophie Mackintosh
3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for providing an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It had been a while since my last dystopian read, and Blue Ticket was just the fix that I needed. This story is told from the point of view of the protagonist Calla who lives in a world where there's a lottery that determines whether or not a woman will be allowed to have children. Those who receive a white ticket are expected to have children while those who receive a blue ticket are forbidden from doing so. When Calla decides to choose her own destiny rather than abide by the rules of the lottery, she's banished from her home and finds herself fighting for her survival.
I recently watched a video in which Margaret Atwood said that when she wrote The Handmaid's Tale "nothing went into it that had not happened in real life, somewhere, at some time." Although the synopsis of this novel may be unimaginable for some, it is no secret that some countries around the world have had laws prohibiting the number of children that a couple can have. I think stories like Blue Ticket and The Handmaid's Tale are important because they lead us to reflect on certain freedoms and rights that we might take for granted.
However, one drawback for me was the lack of explanation as to why the lottery even existed. Perhaps the absence of a detailed backstory was intentional, but this ambiguity made it a little difficult for me to be fully immersed in the storyline. Additionally, the author's unique writing style in this book was something I had to adjust to, but after a few chapters I found the story very easy to follow. As it progressed I became increasingly curious about how Calla's journey would end and found myself rooting for her along the way. Blue Ticket won't be for everyone, but I'd recommend it to anyone in the mood for what I'd call a feminist dystopian/What Happened to Monday/Black Mirror Mashup.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for providing an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It had been a while since my last dystopian read, and Blue Ticket was just the fix that I needed. This story is told from the point of view of the protagonist Calla who lives in a world where there's a lottery that determines whether or not a woman will be allowed to have children. Those who receive a white ticket are expected to have children while those who receive a blue ticket are forbidden from doing so. When Calla decides to choose her own destiny rather than abide by the rules of the lottery, she's banished from her home and finds herself fighting for her survival.
I recently watched a video in which Margaret Atwood said that when she wrote The Handmaid's Tale "nothing went into it that had not happened in real life, somewhere, at some time." Although the synopsis of this novel may be unimaginable for some, it is no secret that some countries around the world have had laws prohibiting the number of children that a couple can have. I think stories like Blue Ticket and The Handmaid's Tale are important because they lead us to reflect on certain freedoms and rights that we might take for granted.
However, one drawback for me was the lack of explanation as to why the lottery even existed. Perhaps the absence of a detailed backstory was intentional, but this ambiguity made it a little difficult for me to be fully immersed in the storyline. Additionally, the author's unique writing style in this book was something I had to adjust to, but after a few chapters I found the story very easy to follow. As it progressed I became increasingly curious about how Calla's journey would end and found myself rooting for her along the way. Blue Ticket won't be for everyone, but I'd recommend it to anyone in the mood for what I'd call a feminist dystopian/What Happened to Monday/Black Mirror Mashup.