paulinelluise's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Spoiler
I thought she would be able to tell us what was going on, I want to know :(
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Infertility, Blood, Violence, Kidnapping, Cancer, Death, Grief, and Alcohol
kimberleydawn's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, and Confinement
Minor: Grief, Suicide, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Infertility, Physical abuse, Dementia, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, and Cancer
madelinequinne's review
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I’m not usually a fan of dystopian or sci fi books so this was a bit out of my comfort zone, but i thought the concept was really interesting!
when i picked this up i was more expecting it to be about a small group of women being held against their will by men for nefarious reasons, rather than it being a dystopia where so many people were in these bunkers for a reason nobody knew, so it was a surprise when i got into it and realised it was that, and i can’t say i hugely enjoyed it just cuz this genre isn’t really my kind of thing, but i did find a lot of the points the main character made very reflective and interesting, and found myself relating to her in some ways, despite her situation being so far from anyone on earth’s.
it was cool to challenge myself to explore a genre i’m not usually into, but i don’t know if i’d do it again
when i picked this up i was more expecting it to be about a small group of women being held against their will by men for nefarious reasons, rather than it being a dystopia where so many people were in these bunkers for a reason nobody knew, so it was a surprise when i got into it and realised it was that, and i can’t say i hugely enjoyed it just cuz this genre isn’t really my kind of thing, but i did find a lot of the points the main character made very reflective and interesting, and found myself relating to her in some ways, despite her situation being so far from anyone on earth’s.
it was cool to challenge myself to explore a genre i’m not usually into, but i don’t know if i’d do it again
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Suicide, Infertility, Dementia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Terminal illness, Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, and Abandonment
miaaa_lenaaa's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wonderful,
shes not known men as in shes never known humanity
‘what does it matter if I've become mute in a world where there is no one to talk to?’
shes not known men as in shes never known humanity
‘what does it matter if I've become mute in a world where there is no one to talk to?’
‘Sitting on the bench, gazing towards the setting sun, she lost her mind in the cerebral convals-tions, the mysterious nooks and crannies of the memory she had gone backwards, seeking a world that made sense, losing her way among the labyrinths, slowly deteriorating dimming, noiselessly being obliterated and then fading away so gradually that it was impossible to pinpoint the transition between the flickering little flame and the shadows.’
‘I suppose I am an old woman, but I still love looking at my face. I don't know if it's beautiful or ugly, but it is the only human face I ever see. I smile at it and receive a friendly smile back.’
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Death, and Cancer
marinalikeaboatyard's review
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Someone get this into the hands of A24 execs STAT
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Confinement, Death, and Suicide
ldapkus's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Suicide, and Gore
kmac14's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Cancer, Death, Grief, and Suicide
loxeletters's review
challenging
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
First: This reminded me, in many ways, of The Wall by Marlen Haushofer, even though the books are quite different. I kept thinking about the parallels and differences while reading, which was super interesting.
On to the actual book:
It's hard for me to articulate my feelings on it. I can appreciate its subtlety, some of the symbolism only becoming apparent to me upon reading the preface. I also enjoyed the writing style, which kept me reading for long stretches at a time. I enjoyed the concept, too, the setting and most of the execution, though I would have wished for some things to be fleshed out a bit more. Logically, it makes sense that the protagonist will brush over some years in her account, but as a reader, it left me lacking connection to most of the characters, and feeling removed from the story. Again, this can be intentional, seeing as there is a great distance to everything the MC reports, but I found that in this regard, it was not enriching to the book.
Finally, however, I really appreciated the way the book poses questions and refuses to answer them - a bold move, which left me feeling empty and perfectly conveyed the hopelessness the character was experiencing.
Overall, it's a strange little book that I enjoyed especially on the artistic and philosophical level (which I imagine this book set out to achieve), moreso than on the entertainment level.
On to the actual book:
It's hard for me to articulate my feelings on it. I can appreciate its subtlety, some of the symbolism only becoming apparent to me upon reading the preface. I also enjoyed the writing style, which kept me reading for long stretches at a time. I enjoyed the concept, too, the setting and most of the execution, though I would have wished for some things to be fleshed out a bit more. Logically, it makes sense that the protagonist will brush over some years in her account, but as a reader, it left me lacking connection to most of the characters, and feeling removed from the story. Again, this can be intentional, seeing as there is a great distance to everything the MC reports, but I found that in this regard, it was not enriching to the book.
Finally, however, I really appreciated the way the book poses questions and refuses to answer them - a bold move, which left me feeling empty and perfectly conveyed the hopelessness the character was experiencing.
Overall, it's a strange little book that I enjoyed especially on the artistic and philosophical level (which I imagine this book set out to achieve), moreso than on the entertainment level.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, and Confinement
Moderate: Cancer, Abandonment, and Suicide
savvylit's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I Who Have Never Known Men is a character-driven dystopian novel full of ambiguity. Readers are allowed just as much knowledge of the women's circumstances as they themselves have access to. The narrator is a teenager, the youngest of the entire group. Unable to remember her life before the bunker, the narrator is frustrated with the other women's desire for pre-imprisonment comforts.
I can't summarize much more about this novel without giving away portions of the plot. What I will say is that Harpman's unnamed narrator and her associates are all incredibly true to life. I was fully engrossed by their lives - despite the ambiguity and mystery surrounding their circumstances. I Who Have Never Known Men is a truly fantastic addition to the dystopian canon and I will be thinking about it for a very long time!
I can't summarize much more about this novel without giving away portions of the plot. What I will say is that Harpman's unnamed narrator and her associates are all incredibly true to life. I was fully engrossed by their lives - despite the ambiguity and mystery surrounding their circumstances. I Who Have Never Known Men is a truly fantastic addition to the dystopian canon and I will be thinking about it for a very long time!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Violence
erinreadsslow's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Suicide, and Confinement
Moderate: Cancer