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A review by erebus53
Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
A novella length retelling of the Greek play "Antigone" (by Sophocles), I felt like this was Veronica Roth (author of Divergent) doing a Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles - futuristic re-imaginings of fairytales). Folk say this is a fresh way of telling a story like this, but it felt a little derivative. As a reimagining of the source work it reminded me somewhat of the movie Ultraviolet with some of the more obvious Feminist themes from Handmaid's Tale.
As a story about the society owning women's bodies, and the expectation that they be gestation machines, it was a lot better than Sayaka Murata's stuff. It was certainly an easier read. I don't know if it was just that I am used to the pace of reading YA sci-fi but the story felt like it was working up to a climax that never came. I felt like I needed one more chapter, but the story stops where it stops.
Going into the book blind, not knowing what it was about, I immediately recognised the names. It wasn't until after I read it that I realised it was the whole play retold in a different setting. It certainly humanises the characters, but I don't know if I would have got more, or less, out of it if I was familiar with the source material.
I liked what there was of it.. but it felt abruptly truncated.
As a story about the society owning women's bodies, and the expectation that they be gestation machines, it was a lot better than Sayaka Murata's stuff. It was certainly an easier read. I don't know if it was just that I am used to the pace of reading YA sci-fi but the story felt like it was working up to a climax that never came. I felt like I needed one more chapter, but the story stops where it stops.
Going into the book blind, not knowing what it was about, I immediately recognised the names. It wasn't until after I read it that I realised it was the whole play retold in a different setting. It certainly humanises the characters, but I don't know if I would have got more, or less, out of it if I was familiar with the source material.
I liked what there was of it.. but it felt abruptly truncated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexism, and Deportation