jkull_10's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, and Torture
inlaraland's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"I Who Have Never Known Men" is a grim dystopian novel. Written as a fictional memoir of sorts, the story follows our unnamed narrator who is trapped in a prison with thirty nine other women. They have no answers as to why they are caged or where they even are. When a chance opportunity of escape arises, the women all jump in to explore the strange world around them.
This dark story is a reflective exploration and thought provoking read that touches on the themes of memories, loneliness, survival, life, death and womanhood. I think what sets this dystopian novel apart from others that I have read is the lack of explanation given. In this novel, what your read is what you get and in many ways it makes the questions you have as a reader far more haunting.
Despite this being a short novel, I had to put this book down a few times because I found the heaviness of it all to be bit too overwhelming. The world is bleak, and it's depressing - something that I would warn readers to keep in mind before picking up the story.
However, it's so worth the pain of enduring in my opinion. This is a story that will stand the test of time, and I interpretated pockets of beauty and hope in the narrator's journey. This book has definitely left an imprint on me, and is one that I would highly recommend to others!
This dark story is a reflective exploration and thought provoking read that touches on the themes of memories, loneliness, survival, life, death and womanhood. I think what sets this dystopian novel apart from others that I have read is the lack of explanation given. In this novel, what your read is what you get and in many ways it makes the questions you have as a reader far more haunting.
Despite this being a short novel, I had to put this book down a few times because I found the heaviness of it all to be bit too overwhelming. The world is bleak, and it's depressing - something that I would warn readers to keep in mind before picking up the story.
However, it's so worth the pain of enduring in my opinion. This is a story that will stand the test of time, and I interpretated pockets of beauty and hope in the narrator's journey. This book has definitely left an imprint on me, and is one that I would highly recommend to others!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Medical trauma, Medical content, Suicide, and Death
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