A review by takarakei
The Power by Naomi Alderman

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Re-read (first read was in 2018). This book holds up to the 5 stars I gave it originally. This time I listened to the audiobook, which is FABULOUSLY narrated - seriously I went and looked up every book Adjoa Andoh has narrated and was pleased to find there are lots.

Dystopian, sci-fi, very dark - please go into it checking all content warnings. Basically take all the horrible things that we humans have done and put them in one book, but with a gender role reversal. Then as you read this, think about all these horrible things that are happening, what those with the power do to those without, remember that these are all things that HAVE been done throughout history to marginalized people in THIS world. The one that we live in. The insane thing is that I almost hesitate to call this sci-fi because it's basically our real history. Yeah, it's disturbing.

I thought about this book long after I read it the first time, and will continue to do so probably forever.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Sexism, Blood, Animal death, Gore, Misogyny, Drug use, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Trafficking, Animal cruelty, and Child abuse

A girl is SA/raped by her foster parent, an adult man. This has been happening repeatedly while living with her foster parents. There is other rape/SA also to a man by a woman because of the role reversal of power.