A review by kpcrossy
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas

dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

4/5 ⭐️: bold speculative novel that feels more familiar than dystopian. In a not so distant future, abortion and IVF have been banned in America. Against a backdrop of restrictive reproductive rights, the stories of four different women (referred to as the biographer, the wife, the daughter, and the mender) are woven together. I loved that their connections to one another were slowly revealed throughout the novel. There’s another narrative about a fifth woman, a Faroese explorer who the biographer is writing about. I enjoyed her story, though I’m not sure how it related to the rest of the book (maybe just a way of showing how women’s experiences have always been overlooked?) One thing that bothered me is that the narrative lacked intersectionality; as far as I read it (though I could be wrong), all of the central characters were white women, which felt like a missed opportunity. The excessive description of animal death was a lot at times. I’ve seen this book compared to the Handmaids Tale, but it’s quite different. I enjoyed it despite a few misgivings! 
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