A review by katharinaamaliae
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I hated the way this book made me feel. I'm used to reading sad books with sad endings, but something about this just really hit me and I don't know why. I think it dealed with some very interesting themes like what makes us human or the definition of freedom, but in a smaller amount than I expected? I hated the world building. In the beginning I really liked how you knew nothing at all about why the women were in the cage, but that was mostly because I expected an explanation the entire time.
I was just really disappointed when there was none, because there was so much potential for a great explanation that was just wasted. For me the lack of an explanation didn't even have a effect on me that made the book more interesting, it just seemed like a lack of world building

I think the narrator was a really interesting and well written character though. Most of the other women seemed kind of flat to me on the other hand, which I thought was sad because going into this book I expected strong female characters.
Overall this was a good book, but it just didn't stand out to me and it's probably not something I will think about for a long time.

I am the sterile offspring of a race about wich I know nothing, not even whether it has become extinct.
Perhaps, somewhere humanity is flourishing under the stars, unaware that a daughter of its blood is ending her days in silence.
There is nothing we can do about it.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings