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A review by bannedfrombookclub
The Power by Naomi Alderman
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is one of those three stars where some of the rating categories are at 5 and others are at 1. I basically have an essay in the notes on my phone that I furiously tapped out because I had to work out my mixed feelings about this book. So to breifly summarise that ...
PROS: The writing is clear and competent, the concept is interesting and needs to be explored, there were flashes of inspiration; we cannot take for granted that a women-run world would be all peace and light just because we want to. We should grapple with how power warps the powerful.
CONS: The framing device is clunky and doesn't hold up under inspection, the characters feel like plot devices, the way women act when in power is too simplistic a gender-flip, the actual power women gain (can zap with electricity) isn't essential enough to the theme of the story other than visually, and a couple of other things.
There's something here, but I think it needed to be teased out in a different way. It has the feeling of a book born too soon.
PROS: The writing is clear and competent, the concept is interesting and needs to be explored, there were flashes of inspiration; we cannot take for granted that a women-run world would be all peace and light just because we want to. We should grapple with how power warps the powerful.
CONS: The framing device is clunky and doesn't hold up under inspection, the characters feel like plot devices, the way women act when in power is too simplistic a gender-flip, the actual power women gain (can zap with electricity) isn't essential enough to the theme of the story other than visually, and a couple of other things.
There's something here, but I think it needed to be teased out in a different way. It has the feeling of a book born too soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Child death