lykke 's review for:

This Perfect Day by Ira Levin

0.5

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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As someone who really enjoyed The Stepford Wives and Rosemary's baby, I had high hopes for this read. Instead it has been one of my worst reading experiences in a long time. I could sort of ignore the bad world building and the fact that the all-knowing mass surveillance computer doesn't really surveil at all (and hasn't thought of locks on doors) - but the weird objectification of women's bodies, a deeply disturbing rape scene (not to mention what seems like a spur of the moment addition of the almost 40 year old male character having group sex with two 16 year old girls) and the ever infuriating trope of "male character is male therefore he has Jason Bourne level skills" was too much for me. I kept on reading to see if Levin would invert this screwed up narrative, but alas, he didnt. He just dialed up the stereotypes.