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elizabeth_delozier's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
2.0
Into the Mist markets itself as a feminist post-apocalypse sci-fi/fantasy. And...the word feminist seems to be misused here. It is not. 🚩
A group of teachers coming home from an education conference are banded together when a biological warfare agent (a green mist) is released in the US, causing mass destruction, death, and plunging the country into a post-apocalyptic state where men are dying rapidly (as the mist seems to be targeting men) and women are developing "powers" (but not everyone, which remains confusing). The story attempts to highlight that women are strong and capable, while men are smarmy abusers of power. The story also touches on the use of religious authority in the time of crises to abuse power.
Aside from the issue of marketing this as feminist, which we will return to, the story itself had its ups and downs. The pacing was off, feeling rushed over all while also having minor plot points that were drawn out to the point of wanting to skip to the next chapter. This is also the first book in a series (it is unclear how long the series will be), meaning that the entire first book is setting the stage for the rest of the series and we don't learn anything hinting at where the mist comes from until the very last second. Not for me. I also will not forgive the author for a particular character death. However, I was rather intrigued by the "powers" that are developed and how they seem to enhance one's pre-existing qualities. These powers were really what kept me invested, I really wanted to learn more about how they manifested and worked, which I did not - though that might be coming in later books.
Now.
For a "feminist" story, there sure does seem to be a large gap in representation for trans women 🚩. Additionally, there is no LGBT representation at all, even among side characters 🚩. So, this biological agent is targeting men and the author makes no attempt to discuss sex vs gender or the biological and psychological impact of this agent for trans or non-binary individuals? 🚩 Why? Oh, because the author isn't actually writing a feminist story. Being a feminist means being inclusive of ALL women. It also means more than just killing off all the men and seeing if women can rule the country better. This story either didn't have enough (or diverse enough) beta readers to correct this or the author simply didn't care. Either way...
I will not be returning to this series for future books and would not recommend this book.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Lorelei King, via NetGalley. An advanced reader's copy of this audiobook was provided to me via NetGalley by Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.Â
A group of teachers coming home from an education conference are banded together when a biological warfare agent (a green mist) is released in the US, causing mass destruction, death, and plunging the country into a post-apocalyptic state where men are dying rapidly (as the mist seems to be targeting men) and women are developing "powers" (but not everyone, which remains confusing). The story attempts to highlight that women are strong and capable, while men are smarmy abusers of power. The story also touches on the use of religious authority in the time of crises to abuse power.
Aside from the issue of marketing this as feminist, which we will return to, the story itself had its ups and downs. The pacing was off, feeling rushed over all while also having minor plot points that were drawn out to the point of wanting to skip to the next chapter. This is also the first book in a series (it is unclear how long the series will be), meaning that the entire first book is setting the stage for the rest of the series and we don't learn anything hinting at where the mist comes from until the very last second. Not for me. I also will not forgive the author for a particular character death. However, I was rather intrigued by the "powers" that are developed and how they seem to enhance one's pre-existing qualities. These powers were really what kept me invested, I really wanted to learn more about how they manifested and worked, which I did not - though that might be coming in later books.
Now.
For a "feminist" story, there sure does seem to be a large gap in representation for trans women 🚩. Additionally, there is no LGBT representation at all, even among side characters 🚩. So, this biological agent is targeting men and the author makes no attempt to discuss sex vs gender or the biological and psychological impact of this agent for trans or non-binary individuals? 🚩 Why? Oh, because the author isn't actually writing a feminist story. Being a feminist means being inclusive of ALL women. It also means more than just killing off all the men and seeing if women can rule the country better. This story either didn't have enough (or diverse enough) beta readers to correct this or the author simply didn't care. Either way...
I will not be returning to this series for future books and would not recommend this book.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Lorelei King, via NetGalley. An advanced reader's copy of this audiobook was provided to me via NetGalley by Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Racism, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Abandonment
Minor: Transphobia
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