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A review by theliteraryhooker
Leila by Prayaag Akbar
4.0
I came across this book in a BookRiot article, and immediately set about hunting down a copy. The blurb was fantastic, and it sounded completely different from any dystopian novel I've read to date. Luckily, the book delivered on all of my expectations and more!
I think this may be the first time I've read a dystopian with a clearly non-western setting; most are set in North America, with a smattering of European settings, but I don't think I've ever read one set in Asia. So that alone made this book unique and interesting to me; it offered a much different view on a dystopian society, one that feels frighteningly possible. It reminded me a bit of The Handmaid's Tale, though with an opposite scenario where women who don't "fit" the new society isolated and not allowed to have or raise children.
This is a spectacularly emotional read. I got literal chills reading certain parts of the novel, and found myself riveted to the page. Between the unique plot and the incredible writing, the author truly brings the reader into his world. An excellent read, and well worth hunting down for anyone who enjoys a good dystopia.
I think this may be the first time I've read a dystopian with a clearly non-western setting; most are set in North America, with a smattering of European settings, but I don't think I've ever read one set in Asia. So that alone made this book unique and interesting to me; it offered a much different view on a dystopian society, one that feels frighteningly possible. It reminded me a bit of The Handmaid's Tale, though with an opposite scenario where women who don't "fit" the new society isolated and not allowed to have or raise children.
This is a spectacularly emotional read. I got literal chills reading certain parts of the novel, and found myself riveted to the page. Between the unique plot and the incredible writing, the author truly brings the reader into his world. An excellent read, and well worth hunting down for anyone who enjoys a good dystopia.