Helpful Score: 1
** spoiler alert ** I vacillated between 3 and 4 stars for this book, because although I thought it was well-crafted and thought-provoking, after considering it, I didn't really like it.
I couldn't identify with the protagonist, and I didn't agree with her views. For a while, I thought that the author was intentionally creating a very problematic situation, but (I could be wrong) I think she actually agrees with her protagonist's perspective. (The interview with her at the end of the book turned me toward that point of view.)
However, regardless of the author's opinions, she's still created an interesting scenario.
It's a near-future England. After severe socio-economic collapse, the government is struggling to manage its population. The first major issue with the book occurs here. Although the government is shown as being restrictive, cracking down on personal freedoms, we see nothing to indicate that it is actually abusive. Rather, it seems to be going out of its way to maintain order, provide people with food, etc. Our protagonist is traumatized and resentful about being required to wear an IUD (this seems to be her main reason to rebel - but at the same time we see that people are living in crowded conditions and that there is barely enough food and resources to go around. I can't really disagree with the government's decision, although the program (as portrayed) could have been carried out with more sensitivity.
Our protagonist leaves her husband secretly and without warning. At first I assumed he was abusive or otherwise horrific. But no, it is later revealed that the two had been in love and then they grew apart because he was able to adjust and make do in his new life, and she refused to, insisting on hanging on to anger and resentment. She was angry at him for not maintaining the revolutionary political ideals that he held as a college student - basically, for growing up. Maybe this means I have become old and stodgy (I prefer to think of myself as adaptable), but I identified more with the husband than with her.
Then, hitchhiking, our protagonist has an encounter with a man in a van. Basically, he makes a pass at her. He doesn't threaten her with rape - but she acts like he does. The whole thing is a little weird.
Our protagonist reaches her goal, and after some tribulation, joins the female survivalist group she was intending on joining up with. The narrator makes a big deal out of insisting that the group is not a cult and that its leader, Jackie, is not crazy. However, it is more than clear that (at least by my definitions) it IS a cult, and Jackie IS crazy. The behaviors of the women in the group are horribly disturbing. Personally, anyone that beat me up, broke my bones and imprisoned me till I was on the verge of death would NEVER be getting called "Sister" by me. Under Jackie's crazed leadership, the cult gradually gets more militarily inclined, and things come to a head when Jackie decides to morph it into a true terrorist group. Some women are shown as seeing this for what it is, and they leave. Jackie then murders a couple of people who take off - something that is accepted as "necessary" by our protagonist. Jackie has absolutely no plan about how to improve the lot of England (except maybe that farming is good?), but decides to incite armed rebellion.
After that, I really thought that the author was trying to talk about how people can be led to accept horrible, unethical actions; led into violence... It is true that the women of Carhullan did make a better life for themselves (well, at least they had better food... they still had an awful lot of rules and hierarchy going on). But then in the author interview she was talking about "strong, capable women.. shaking off oppression.." and I'm like "What?! That's not the book I just read, Ms. Hall!"
It is still an interesting book though, because it leads the reader to consider the two different societies posited here - the repressive, crowded welfare state that still clings to traditional values that "Sister" runs from, and the repressive, hardworking, sex-segregated (it's mostly women, with a few men down the road) military-style camp that she runs to. Neither are shown as lovely options. But I think that Hall sees a lot more value in the latter than I do. I would prefer the first, with the option of working from the inside to demand more personal freedoms & rights from the 'Authority' - maybe not a goal that would be likely to succeed - but one with far more chance of succeeding than armed rebellion ending in mass bloodshed.
I couldn't identify with the protagonist, and I didn't agree with her views. For a while, I thought that the author was intentionally creating a very problematic situation, but (I could be wrong) I think she actually agrees with her protagonist's perspective. (The interview with her at the end of the book turned me toward that point of view.)
However, regardless of the author's opinions, she's still created an interesting scenario.
It's a near-future England. After severe socio-economic collapse, the government is struggling to manage its population. The first major issue with the book occurs here. Although the government is shown as being restrictive, cracking down on personal freedoms, we see nothing to indicate that it is actually abusive. Rather, it seems to be going out of its way to maintain order, provide people with food, etc. Our protagonist is traumatized and resentful about being required to wear an IUD (this seems to be her main reason to rebel - but at the same time we see that people are living in crowded conditions and that there is barely enough food and resources to go around. I can't really disagree with the government's decision, although the program (as portrayed) could have been carried out with more sensitivity.
Our protagonist leaves her husband secretly and without warning. At first I assumed he was abusive or otherwise horrific. But no, it is later revealed that the two had been in love and then they grew apart because he was able to adjust and make do in his new life, and she refused to, insisting on hanging on to anger and resentment. She was angry at him for not maintaining the revolutionary political ideals that he held as a college student - basically, for growing up. Maybe this means I have become old and stodgy (I prefer to think of myself as adaptable), but I identified more with the husband than with her.
Then, hitchhiking, our protagonist has an encounter with a man in a van. Basically, he makes a pass at her. He doesn't threaten her with rape - but she acts like he does. The whole thing is a little weird.
Our protagonist reaches her goal, and after some tribulation, joins the female survivalist group she was intending on joining up with. The narrator makes a big deal out of insisting that the group is not a cult and that its leader, Jackie, is not crazy. However, it is more than clear that (at least by my definitions) it IS a cult, and Jackie IS crazy. The behaviors of the women in the group are horribly disturbing. Personally, anyone that beat me up, broke my bones and imprisoned me till I was on the verge of death would NEVER be getting called "Sister" by me. Under Jackie's crazed leadership, the cult gradually gets more militarily inclined, and things come to a head when Jackie decides to morph it into a true terrorist group. Some women are shown as seeing this for what it is, and they leave. Jackie then murders a couple of people who take off - something that is accepted as "necessary" by our protagonist. Jackie has absolutely no plan about how to improve the lot of England (except maybe that farming is good?), but decides to incite armed rebellion.
After that, I really thought that the author was trying to talk about how people can be led to accept horrible, unethical actions; led into violence... It is true that the women of Carhullan did make a better life for themselves (well, at least they had better food... they still had an awful lot of rules and hierarchy going on). But then in the author interview she was talking about "strong, capable women.. shaking off oppression.." and I'm like "What?! That's not the book I just read, Ms. Hall!"
It is still an interesting book though, because it leads the reader to consider the two different societies posited here - the repressive, crowded welfare state that still clings to traditional values that "Sister" runs from, and the repressive, hardworking, sex-segregated (it's mostly women, with a few men down the road) military-style camp that she runs to. Neither are shown as lovely options. But I think that Hall sees a lot more value in the latter than I do. I would prefer the first, with the option of working from the inside to demand more personal freedoms & rights from the 'Authority' - maybe not a goal that would be likely to succeed - but one with far more chance of succeeding than armed rebellion ending in mass bloodshed.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a nice smooth read. It is quite easy to slip into and there isn't alot that's jarring about it.
I don't think it serves the book well to call it a Feminist Dystopia. If all the men were settled in one place and the women in another we'd call that life. But since the women choose it: it gets called Feminist.
The plot ticks along nicely with very little drag. Sister has known about the all women settlement for a long time but now that the government and her husband have become things she can't understand. She goes to that settlement determined to live there and hopefully be free. But like all places that we love and feel happy it cannot last. There is always a price to be paid.
All in all i'll give it a 4/5 stars. Just because I think the author blinked a few times while writing it.
I don't think it serves the book well to call it a Feminist Dystopia. If all the men were settled in one place and the women in another we'd call that life. But since the women choose it: it gets called Feminist.
The plot ticks along nicely with very little drag. Sister has known about the all women settlement for a long time but now that the government and her husband have become things she can't understand. She goes to that settlement determined to live there and hopefully be free. But like all places that we love and feel happy it cannot last. There is always a price to be paid.
All in all i'll give it a 4/5 stars. Just because I think the author blinked a few times while writing it.
Helpful Score: 1
This book Started with interesting premise, another dystopian world, whew America is dominating England though economic enslavement. A total Economic Collapse in Britain causing debt to USA and crisis so large as to destroy the very structure od the country is build on. Little by little USA is providing food and basic necessities but dictates how they will be used. And GB becomes another third world country with camps providing survival necessities to people in exchange for obedience. Disobedience is not tolerated. Into this we have our Narator telling her story of her brave departure on there dream of a society that might not exist, but that turns out to be equally manipulative, abusive and despotic in its own way. And our "Sister" as the narrator is now when she joins the independent group in the north is quite bling to it. (Not totally blind, but quite blind). It took a bit long to get to the meat of the story, to the actual plot. And just as things started to get good, when we were hitting what should have been the climax of the book, the author employs "data lost", and sums up the results of the climax in 1 paragraph. Terrible choice. At first I thought there would be a sequel, but no. That's it. The journey is the story, not the rebellion. which is unusual. As the rebellion should have been the conclusion, though its added more like an afterthought. Im not sure if that's intentional (brilliant) or not (the author was not going to write a sequel, so they slammed the reader with some obvious ending). There was sgreat ome potential for interesting exploration to happen in this book, including when does resistance to tyranny become tyranny itself, but the book never got itself to that point. Though it does raises interesting questions. And is a worthy read.
A note to reader: This book contains coarse offensive sexual language. (NO... It is not erotica) Quite the opposite. And describes the placement of UTI medical contraceptive device that is very traumatic. Also it includes military training style, very graphic torture sessions, described in extremely vivid detail. Should have a warning on the cover. It is not suitable for younger readers.
A note to reader: This book contains coarse offensive sexual language. (NO... It is not erotica) Quite the opposite. And describes the placement of UTI medical contraceptive device that is very traumatic. Also it includes military training style, very graphic torture sessions, described in extremely vivid detail. Should have a warning on the cover. It is not suitable for younger readers.
Helpful Score: 1
With an interesting premise and good writing this makes for a fairly quick read, but the ending is abrupt and doesn't provide much sense of closure. Not even one that seems to be purposefully left vague like some books, it just seems like the author decided she wanted to be done writing.
