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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
The idea of this book was very intriguing to me, especially after consuming Handmaid's Tale content for the past couple of years.
The longer I sit with the book, the more I find myself coming to terms with the fact that it was meant to be a very ugly story. I think it's really easy to think that the author shares the mindset of her characters, but did we do that to Margaret Atwood? No. So I'm choosing to believe that this author is not transphobic, or has any other outlandish prejudice.
Once I get passed that, I can appreciate the commentary this book offers.
It follows several, very different, POV characters, which allows you to view this world through the lenses of women who benefit or suffer greatly under the matriarchy they live under.
Finally, the prose is beautiful. This was recently translated to English but the beauty of the writing comes through wonderfully in the translation.
I will say trigger warning for trasphobia, blood used in cooking, animal abuse, child abuse, mutilation, and probably more (this book could due with a proper look by a sensitivity reader to better warn audiences of the content).
The idea of this book was very intriguing to me, especially after consuming Handmaid's Tale content for the past couple of years.
The longer I sit with the book, the more I find myself coming to terms with the fact that it was meant to be a very ugly story. I think it's really easy to think that the author shares the mindset of her characters, but did we do that to Margaret Atwood? No. So I'm choosing to believe that this author is not transphobic, or has any other outlandish prejudice.
Once I get passed that, I can appreciate the commentary this book offers.
It follows several, very different, POV characters, which allows you to view this world through the lenses of women who benefit or suffer greatly under the matriarchy they live under.
Finally, the prose is beautiful. This was recently translated to English but the beauty of the writing comes through wonderfully in the translation.
I will say trigger warning for trasphobia, blood used in cooking, animal abuse, child abuse, mutilation, and probably more (this book could due with a proper look by a sensitivity reader to better warn audiences of the content).
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
Det er kun Uthaug der kan skrive sådanne bøger, forstod det ikke, også gjorde jeg… også gjorde jeg ikke… etc. You catch my drift
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
medium-paced
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
It's well written but I think it kind of went nowhere and it lacks depth. There is a transgender character but the question of this characters identity is never discussed. It is said multiple times that men live in terrible conditions, that they're drugged etc. but nobody ever does anything about it except protesting one time. Then the book suddenly ends, just like that. I love an open ending but this felt as if the author was just tired and didn't want to write anymore. We basically only learned the characters backstories, there was some action and that's it. There is no moral of the story, no warning for our world (like many dystopian books have), no reflections about human nature. Sometimes it even felt as if the author wanted to trigger people or that the author is not really feminist and wanted to tell us "see? If the feminists won, men would be f**ing women with feces and children would learn how to m**turbate in school".
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes