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meaghanelizabook's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Murder, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide
reubenalbatross's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.75
After reading the 'Book of the Unnamed Midwife' I was hoping for more trans rep in its sequel. For a book about a woman pretending to be a man, there seemed an odd lack of the topic. However, I now wish that this author had NEVER written about trans characters. I honestly can't tell if this author is transphobic or just severely, severely misinformed. Either way, the trans rep in this book is appallingly harmful and inaccurate.
I'm pretty disappointed I'm having to write all of this, because the parts of the book that didn't focus on LGBT issues were actually pretty enjoyable. I loved seeing the different versions of civilisations that had been created over time, and liked the Midwife/idol angle. However, the bad FAR outweighs the good in this case.
Please note that I am a trans man myself, so I am somewhat of an authority on this matter. The following are some of the things that really stuck out in this book:
1. There are many instances where trans/gender non-conforming people are labelled as 'pretending' to be another gender. One of the glaring examples of this is when Etta/Eddy (E from here on) refers to a transwoman as being a 'trick'. Most of the instances of this behaviour come from E's viewpoint, so I am hoping it is just internal transphobia being shown, rather than the author's real beliefs, but it is very difficult to gauge in this book, which isn't usually a good sign.
2. The book EXPLICITLY states that E became transgender after experiencing sexual trauma. This is an extremely damaging and false idea. Trans people are trans from birth, it is not a result of trauma. In addition, Eddy and Etta are portrayed as being two completely separate identities in E's head. That is not how ANY kind of trans people work, even if they're non-binary or gender fluid. Elison is portraying this transgender character as being a mix of transgender and having a mental health disorder like schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder. This means that Elison clearly equates being trans with having a mental illness, which is completely transphobic and untrue.
3. Through E we also see Elison being pretty misogynistic. E is Eddy when they're being big, strong and tough, and is Etta when being more emotionally vulnerable, loved, or sexually abused. (In case you don't know Elision, all genders are capable of everything). She also, somehow, in a rugged post-apocalyptic world, managed to make the removal of body hair the desired thing for women - give it a fucking rest!
4. The transwoman character is stated to be trans BECAUSE she was castrated as a child. Excuse me?? That's not how any of that works - castrated boys usually live as men, castration does not change gender. Elison clearly states that the character was one of the catamites (and therefore castrated) but she grows facial hair?? NOT HOW THAT WORKS. Also, its suggested that this character dyes her hair red purely because she's trans - what on Earth is that going to achieve in term of looking more feminine??
5. Elison also puts this transwoman in the villain role towards the end of the book. She is seen as the single reason a whole settlement gets destroyed and its women imprisoned, because she 'corrupts' and steals away a cis-lesbian character, and then sides with the male characters. That's some pretty TERF-y behaviour from Elison.
6. Another less damaging, but still worrying point is that Etta is attracted to every single woman she comes into contact with, and sleeps with the majority of them. This is a horrible stereotype about gay people, that they want to shag every person of the same gender, so it’s pretty misguided that Elison included this in the book.
7. The fact that the main 'avenging angels'/heroes of the book were Mormons, and the religious/supernatural elements that are laced into this book further my belief that Elison is transphobic, as most heavily religious people are, especially in America.
For a book that focuses so much on transgender issues, Elison should have at least done SOME research, which she clearly hasn't. I bet she’s never even had a conversation with a trans person before. It’s also very clear that this book was not read by a single trans person before it was published, or it would never have seen the light of day.
I've read up on Elison and can see she claims to be a very inclusive author, especially for women's issues. I think she's a TERF. If you truly want to be inclusive Elison, please actually listen to the voices you are writing about, rather spewing damaging and inaccurate nonsense that does way more harm than good.
I'm pretty disappointed I'm having to write all of this, because the parts of the book that didn't focus on LGBT issues were actually pretty enjoyable. I loved seeing the different versions of civilisations that had been created over time, and liked the Midwife/idol angle. However, the bad FAR outweighs the good in this case.
Please note that I am a trans man myself, so I am somewhat of an authority on this matter. The following are some of the things that really stuck out in this book:
1. There are many instances where trans/gender non-conforming people are labelled as 'pretending' to be another gender. One of the glaring examples of this is when Etta/Eddy (E from here on) refers to a transwoman as being a 'trick'. Most of the instances of this behaviour come from E's viewpoint, so I am hoping it is just internal transphobia being shown, rather than the author's real beliefs, but it is very difficult to gauge in this book, which isn't usually a good sign.
2. The book EXPLICITLY states that E became transgender after experiencing sexual trauma. This is an extremely damaging and false idea. Trans people are trans from birth, it is not a result of trauma. In addition, Eddy and Etta are portrayed as being two completely separate identities in E's head. That is not how ANY kind of trans people work, even if they're non-binary or gender fluid. Elison is portraying this transgender character as being a mix of transgender and having a mental health disorder like schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder. This means that Elison clearly equates being trans with having a mental illness, which is completely transphobic and untrue.
3. Through E we also see Elison being pretty misogynistic. E is Eddy when they're being big, strong and tough, and is Etta when being more emotionally vulnerable, loved, or sexually abused. (In case you don't know Elision, all genders are capable of everything). She also, somehow, in a rugged post-apocalyptic world, managed to make the removal of body hair the desired thing for women - give it a fucking rest!
4. The transwoman character is stated to be trans BECAUSE she was castrated as a child. Excuse me?? That's not how any of that works - castrated boys usually live as men, castration does not change gender. Elison clearly states that the character was one of the catamites (and therefore castrated) but she grows facial hair?? NOT HOW THAT WORKS. Also, its suggested that this character dyes her hair red purely because she's trans - what on Earth is that going to achieve in term of looking more feminine??
5. Elison also puts this transwoman in the villain role towards the end of the book. She is seen as the single reason a whole settlement gets destroyed and its women imprisoned, because she 'corrupts' and steals away a cis-lesbian character, and then sides with the male characters. That's some pretty TERF-y behaviour from Elison.
6. Another less damaging, but still worrying point is that Etta is attracted to every single woman she comes into contact with, and sleeps with the majority of them. This is a horrible stereotype about gay people, that they want to shag every person of the same gender, so it’s pretty misguided that Elison included this in the book.
7. The fact that the main 'avenging angels'/heroes of the book were Mormons, and the religious/supernatural elements that are laced into this book further my belief that Elison is transphobic, as most heavily religious people are, especially in America.
For a book that focuses so much on transgender issues, Elison should have at least done SOME research, which she clearly hasn't. I bet she’s never even had a conversation with a trans person before. It’s also very clear that this book was not read by a single trans person before it was published, or it would never have seen the light of day.
I've read up on Elison and can see she claims to be a very inclusive author, especially for women's issues. I think she's a TERF. If you truly want to be inclusive Elison, please actually listen to the voices you are writing about, rather spewing damaging and inaccurate nonsense that does way more harm than good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
izzy_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Animal death, Rape, and Transphobia
Minor: Dysphoria
angelakay's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is the sequel to The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, which I read back in 2014 when it first came out, about a fever that kills a massive percentage of the global population–and kills women 10 times as often, and also makes pregnancy and childbirth fatal for mother and child more often than not. Etta takes place about 100 years later. A raider for the enlightened colony of Nowhere, led and managed by women, Etta’s job is to travel around to abandoned cities to collect useful relics and other materials–and also to free enslaved women and girls and bring them back to Nowhere where they can live free and full lives. On the road, Etta dresses as a man and goes by Eddie, which if she’s honest, has come to feel more authentic than living and dressing as Etta. The rare post-apocalypic sci-fi offering that also gets pretty deep into gender diversity territory, with Etta/Eddie and other characters as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
shontellereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? Yes
4.5
So once again I loved the way this was written and how deep into the psyche of the main character we went. However, this lacked the key aspect of the first book that I enjoyed- the "end of the world"ness / post pandemic setting. Instead it kind of just felt like a backward world with lots of cult vibes. What I did enjoy was the discussion around gender identity, it was really interesting and (in my not-own-voice opinion) well done.
This was darker than the first book and I would really emphasise checking the TWs.
This was darker than the first book and I would really emphasise checking the TWs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Transphobia, Grief, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Abortion
horizonous's review against another edition
The more I read the more unsure I am of why I’m even reading this. I don’t particularly enjoy it, I don’t like the characters and some things that happened in the last chapter are just 🙄 Some things just don't make any sense to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Transphobia, and Trafficking
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Cancer, Miscarriage, Racism, and Medical trauma
◦ Medical trauma = Genital mutilationbex_knighthunter's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is up there as one of the heaviest darkest books I've ever read but I also love it - definite max max fury road vibes.
Set a century or so after the first book, this follows a gender-queer (fluid?) raider travelling around other settlements which is a fascinating way to get to see the different ways civilisation has evolved after society fragmented, and in particular the way societies views of gender have changed. The characters were so unique and interesting and real with three named genderqueer/trans characters, cultures based around polyamory, diverse sexualities depicted, and race was not ignored in this future. The town of Nowhere also charmed me and I loved learning how it had developed since the unnamed midwife. The writing was also brilliant, easy-to-read, and evocative.
The plot was mostly meandering but to be honest I quite enjoyed that (I find the minutae of survival fascinating so this was always going to be a hit) as I felt the character development and world building were always there. There were some great plot hooks planted to keep me guessing what the ending would be - but when we got to that ending... wow... I'm not even sure what to think. It was shocking and tense, and the darkest parts were not drawn out any longer than needed to tell the story which I'm thankful for, but I'm not sure I liked where the plot went. I was expecting dark but I wasn't ready for that and nearly stopped reading with only 10 pages to go!
This is not a story I'll forget in a hurry and ultimately it is so different and yet well suited to my tastes that I have to love it.
Set a century or so after the first book, this follows a gender-queer (fluid?) raider travelling around other settlements which is a fascinating way to get to see the different ways civilisation has evolved after society fragmented, and in particular the way societies views of gender have changed. The characters were so unique and interesting and real with three named genderqueer/trans characters, cultures based around polyamory, diverse sexualities depicted, and race was not ignored in this future. The town of Nowhere also charmed me and I loved learning how it had developed since the unnamed midwife. The writing was also brilliant, easy-to-read, and evocative.
The plot was mostly meandering but to be honest I quite enjoyed that (I find the minutae of survival fascinating so this was always going to be a hit) as I felt the character development and world building were always there. There were some great plot hooks planted to keep me guessing what the ending would be - but when we got to that ending... wow... I'm not even sure what to think. It was shocking and tense, and the darkest parts were not drawn out any longer than needed to tell the story which I'm thankful for, but I'm not sure I liked where the plot went. I was expecting dark but I wasn't ready for that and nearly stopped reading with only 10 pages to go!
This is not a story I'll forget in a hurry and ultimately it is so different and yet well suited to my tastes that I have to love it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Slavery, Transphobia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Violence, Blood, Murder, Outing, and Dysphoria
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, and War