baileykb's review against another edition
4.0
One of the most riveting yet crushing novels I've ever read. The juxtaposition of religion and government comes together to create a dystopian society in which so many are subjected to discrimination as their punishment. I felt immense empathy for Hannah as she discovered herself, her faith, and her relationships. A must-read for those who admire the works of Margaret Atwood, George Orwell, and Ray Bradbury. A tale of despair and abandonment that will never cease to impact my view of great literature. However, the ending of the book is extremely rushed and incredibly apparent to the reader which makes it difficult to truly enjoy the book completely. If the last part of the book were just a little more paced it would be 5/5 stars for me. Unfortunately, that is not the case, though, it is still a book I would recommend if you want a book that you can not seem to put down without finishing it.
readinglist's review against another edition
5.0
Think The Handmaid's Tale meets The Scarlet Letter. Engrossing and heartbreaking.
afeezorrn's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
raemelle's review against another edition
4.0
There were some editing misses, such as typos and a place or two where a flashback didn't appropriately segue back into present, but beyond those easy to fix problems, this was quite a good book. I couldn't stop reading it - only doing so when I had to sleep. Many deep questions about God and morality. The main character is a 26 year old woman, but the novel reads like a YA story. Not that it's a necessarily bad thing. It did make it a quick read.
thejoyofbooking's review against another edition
4.0
When She Woke is The Scarlet Letter for a new generation – a woman’s misdeeds will be emblazoned upon her person for all to see, for all to judge. Her crime is her disobedient sexuality – an unapproved liaison leaves her with child, and she terminates the pregnancy without ever telling the father she was pregnant.
The book is full of chilling descriptions of the future, one that seemed all too close since I read this just as governor Rick Perry backed down on the mandated HPV vaccine for Texas teens and tweens. It’s a perfect example of the state meddling with sexuality – and the “for her own good” argument is way too slippery a slope for me to be comfortable with.
Hannah’s world is one of proper girls who dress modestly, obey their parents, and love God. There’s no longer a separation of church and state, so it’s also one where the most fervently devoted beat their wives and hunt down people who’ve committed sins in order to scare or hurt them. Hannah’s trials mean she can’t know who to trust or for how long, and her fight to be true to herself is a fascinating read.
Hannah is a strong and likable character, although I admit to being flummoxed by her steadfast refusal to name the father. Especially when she thinks she has evidence that he has moved on with his life – why prolong her suffering? I guess I wasn’t convinced that she wasn’t being used by her lover in the first place. Another problem I had was Kayla. She’s has a fantastic secondary storyline, and Hannah’s feelings for her became my own. But – what happened to her?
And my final quibble is a spoiler alert!
I was really, really disappointed that Hannah had sex with Simone. It just didn’t fit! Was the point being made that Hannah is slowly discovering that she is many things that she formerly disapproved of? Because if so, I feel like she’s already learned that – I mean, she had an affair with a married man and aborted a child, so I think she’s already past the point of realizing that maybe the things she was told all her life aren’t true and that the people who do them aren’t evil. Also, it happened right after an attempted rape – I doubt that someone who had so recently been in such a scary sexual situation would be up for an intimate encounter with a brand-new gender. ALSO Simone is still in a pretty big position of power over Hannah and would have understood the physical and psychological trauma that she’d just been through, and otherwise consistently is able to make logical decisions even in the heat of the moment. It doesn’t match her character to let Hannah initiate sex without even protesting. The scene really didn’t fit anywhere and it seemed so gratuitous.
Aside from characterization, some of the things that I liked the most about this book were how they showed how really not far in the future this could be. The description of the culture seemed spot on, and I liked that the storyline included some of the things that would really be problems with traveling incognito (and bright red) across the country. Where do you eat? How do you go to the bathroom? What kinds of dangers do you face – violence, boredom – when you really have no one to help you out?
When She Woke is a prescient vision of what society could be like if religion and science fiction movies all come true. It requires us to ask ourselves what kinds of judgements we make on people for their looks, and drives home the point that we all deserve second chances.
The book is full of chilling descriptions of the future, one that seemed all too close since I read this just as governor Rick Perry backed down on the mandated HPV vaccine for Texas teens and tweens. It’s a perfect example of the state meddling with sexuality – and the “for her own good” argument is way too slippery a slope for me to be comfortable with.
Hannah’s world is one of proper girls who dress modestly, obey their parents, and love God. There’s no longer a separation of church and state, so it’s also one where the most fervently devoted beat their wives and hunt down people who’ve committed sins in order to scare or hurt them. Hannah’s trials mean she can’t know who to trust or for how long, and her fight to be true to herself is a fascinating read.
Hannah is a strong and likable character, although I admit to being flummoxed by her steadfast refusal to name the father. Especially when she thinks she has evidence that he has moved on with his life – why prolong her suffering? I guess I wasn’t convinced that she wasn’t being used by her lover in the first place. Another problem I had was Kayla. She’s has a fantastic secondary storyline, and Hannah’s feelings for her became my own. But – what happened to her?
And my final quibble is a spoiler alert!
I was really, really disappointed that Hannah had sex with Simone. It just didn’t fit! Was the point being made that Hannah is slowly discovering that she is many things that she formerly disapproved of? Because if so, I feel like she’s already learned that – I mean, she had an affair with a married man and aborted a child, so I think she’s already past the point of realizing that maybe the things she was told all her life aren’t true and that the people who do them aren’t evil. Also, it happened right after an attempted rape – I doubt that someone who had so recently been in such a scary sexual situation would be up for an intimate encounter with a brand-new gender. ALSO Simone is still in a pretty big position of power over Hannah and would have understood the physical and psychological trauma that she’d just been through, and otherwise consistently is able to make logical decisions even in the heat of the moment. It doesn’t match her character to let Hannah initiate sex without even protesting. The scene really didn’t fit anywhere and it seemed so gratuitous.
Aside from characterization, some of the things that I liked the most about this book were how they showed how really not far in the future this could be. The description of the culture seemed spot on, and I liked that the storyline included some of the things that would really be problems with traveling incognito (and bright red) across the country. Where do you eat? How do you go to the bathroom? What kinds of dangers do you face – violence, boredom – when you really have no one to help you out?
When She Woke is a prescient vision of what society could be like if religion and science fiction movies all come true. It requires us to ask ourselves what kinds of judgements we make on people for their looks, and drives home the point that we all deserve second chances.
wareagle2010's review against another edition
Just not holding my attention. Well written. Just likely not in my wheelhouse or just not the right timing.
andreaclouse's review against another edition
4.0
Great concept and interesting world. A little too "coming of age" in the second half.
kater_tot's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
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? No
5.0
jillybean_79's review against another edition
3.0
Damn it, I'm mad at this book. The first 60-65% were really good. Well written, good pacing, I understood the world and our character. The last third is like a completely different book. First there is the random, out of the blue lesbian scene. Hannah literally is repulsed by lesbianism, goes to bed and wakes up the next morning not only attracted to the woman she is with but making advances on her?!?! And what is with the drug that makes you do whatever the other person wants; sounds like something a 12 year old would write. The pacing from here completely falls apart, the last 20% felt rushed. It is also completely lacking in story, the entire ending of the book is just preaching and shoving God down our throats.
This book was on its way to 4 stars and quickly went downhill.
This book was on its way to 4 stars and quickly went downhill.
jtasker's review against another edition
4.0
I love a good dystopian thriller, and When She Woke did not disappoint. In this futuristic take on The Scarlet Letter, terrorists and climate change have destroyed America and led to a takeover by the religious right. With prisons overflowing and money to support them dwindling, scientists develop a virus that changes the color of a convicted criminal's skin to indicate the type and severity of his or her crime. After 30 days in nationally televised seclusion, the melachromed convicts are released into society, where they are shunned, abused, and treated like third class citizens. Hannah's skin is turned red after she is convicted of murder--murder of her unborn child. The father is Aidan Dale, her married pastor. Shunned by her family and friends, Hannah embarks on a physical and spiritual journey to redemption and self-realization.
While at times some events and dialogue seemed contrived, I enjoyed this book. Although I seem to share the author's political and religious views,even I felt that they seemed a little preachy and awkwardly inserted into the story sometimes. In the case of Hannah's personal realizations, the awkwardness was warranted because she comes from such a naive sheltered existence, her exposure to discrimination and attempts at survival naturally would prompt statements such as (paraphrased)"just because I am well made and wearing well-fitting clothing does not mean I am inviting sin."
I also found the novel's treatment of homosexuality to be quite awkward. Given the emphasis on sex and religion, I did wonder how this society viewed homosexuality. Not surprisingly, the moral majority condemns it and GLBT people are not accepted. In fact, when Hannah realizes that one of her saviors is a lesbian, she has a strong negative reaction expressing her discomfort. A short time later, Hannah has an intimate experience with this woman. While I completely understand that a same-sex intimate experience can signify ultimate comfort and ownership of one's sexuality, this particular episode seemed thrown into the story without an anchor. Unfortunately, I think the author was trying too hard to make a statement and lost her characters at this point.
I did, however, appreciate that this story is not a condemnation of all religion, but a criticism of belief systems that preach exclusion, judgement, and punishment over love, forgiveness, and acceptance. When She Woke still wins four out of five stars for me because I found it to be a powerfully moving, self-affirming story. I can't wait to read more from Hillary Jordan.
While at times some events and dialogue seemed contrived, I enjoyed this book. Although I seem to share the author's political and religious views,even I felt that they seemed a little preachy and awkwardly inserted into the story sometimes. In the case of Hannah's personal realizations, the awkwardness was warranted because she comes from such a naive sheltered existence, her exposure to discrimination and attempts at survival naturally would prompt statements such as (paraphrased)"just because I am well made and wearing well-fitting clothing does not mean I am inviting sin."
I also found the novel's treatment of homosexuality to be quite awkward. Given the emphasis on sex and religion, I did wonder how this society viewed homosexuality. Not surprisingly, the moral majority condemns it and GLBT people are not accepted. In fact, when Hannah realizes that one of her saviors is a lesbian, she has a strong negative reaction expressing her discomfort. A short time later, Hannah has an intimate experience with this woman. While I completely understand that a same-sex intimate experience can signify ultimate comfort and ownership of one's sexuality, this particular episode seemed thrown into the story without an anchor. Unfortunately, I think the author was trying too hard to make a statement and lost her characters at this point.
I did, however, appreciate that this story is not a condemnation of all religion, but a criticism of belief systems that preach exclusion, judgement, and punishment over love, forgiveness, and acceptance. When She Woke still wins four out of five stars for me because I found it to be a powerfully moving, self-affirming story. I can't wait to read more from Hillary Jordan.