WOULD MAKE A GREAT HAUNTING MOVIE >>>>>
Husband and wife, three daughters, in white flowing clothes and carrying purifying salt in their hands, are isolated on an island to protect the women from a deadly plague carried by men. New Age survivalism has moved the group from family to cult with shifting rituals involving salt, iron, water, muslin, near-drowning, bonfires and the abuse of small animals.
Women suffering from the male-transmitted plague once made their way to this slowly collapsing resort to be cured. Why did the flow of women stop? Where did the stream of women go? (More practically, where does the hot and cold running water come from? How is the pool beautifully maintained?)
King disappears. And two men and a boy wash up on the beach. They either bring contagion with them or awaken it in the girls. In one week of alternating blinding hot glare and pouring rain, it all goes to hell....
CONCLUSION Unfortunately, the writing just wasn't there to make me care about even one of the characters. The plot seemed to be made up of one intriguing idea (a future where all men are toxic to all women) but then there was no back story as to how it began, what the first symptoms were, or how this "family" managed to have a man with them that did not make them sick enough to die. And the last 3 visitors were men who showed up. About halfway through, I was still baffled about the characters, I was hoping for an amazing twist at the end and kept reading. Another issue was all the girls spoke with the same voice. It highlighted their strange brainwashing at the hands of their parents. But made it a difficult read. In many ways, this world was like that of The Giver. It was isolated from the greater world with residents fed only as much information as they need to survive, but not thrive. Each is given different jobs and emotions are regulated by the leaders. This island most definitely operates as a cult and there are scenes of self-harm, masochism, drug use, miscarriage, and cult rituals. Even in this odd place, this isn't all normalized. If that makes sense.
After finishing the book, I have a sense of what the author was trying to convey, in her own brand of feminism. I don't think this meandering novel was the right way, or maybe I'm just not the right audience. Being taught to fear men, or hide away from the possibility of harm will not solve any problems of female violence or sexual politics. In my humble opinion, boys and girls should both be taught to respect and protect each other. But hey, what do I know?
Husband and wife, three daughters, in white flowing clothes and carrying purifying salt in their hands, are isolated on an island to protect the women from a deadly plague carried by men. New Age survivalism has moved the group from family to cult with shifting rituals involving salt, iron, water, muslin, near-drowning, bonfires and the abuse of small animals.
Women suffering from the male-transmitted plague once made their way to this slowly collapsing resort to be cured. Why did the flow of women stop? Where did the stream of women go? (More practically, where does the hot and cold running water come from? How is the pool beautifully maintained?)
King disappears. And two men and a boy wash up on the beach. They either bring contagion with them or awaken it in the girls. In one week of alternating blinding hot glare and pouring rain, it all goes to hell....
CONCLUSION Unfortunately, the writing just wasn't there to make me care about even one of the characters. The plot seemed to be made up of one intriguing idea (a future where all men are toxic to all women) but then there was no back story as to how it began, what the first symptoms were, or how this "family" managed to have a man with them that did not make them sick enough to die. And the last 3 visitors were men who showed up. About halfway through, I was still baffled about the characters, I was hoping for an amazing twist at the end and kept reading. Another issue was all the girls spoke with the same voice. It highlighted their strange brainwashing at the hands of their parents. But made it a difficult read. In many ways, this world was like that of The Giver. It was isolated from the greater world with residents fed only as much information as they need to survive, but not thrive. Each is given different jobs and emotions are regulated by the leaders. This island most definitely operates as a cult and there are scenes of self-harm, masochism, drug use, miscarriage, and cult rituals. Even in this odd place, this isn't all normalized. If that makes sense.
After finishing the book, I have a sense of what the author was trying to convey, in her own brand of feminism. I don't think this meandering novel was the right way, or maybe I'm just not the right audience. Being taught to fear men, or hide away from the possibility of harm will not solve any problems of female violence or sexual politics. In my humble opinion, boys and girls should both be taught to respect and protect each other. But hey, what do I know?
