I had a feeling I'd love this book and I really did. The only reason it's 4 stars rather than 5 is because I did find it to (ironically) be quite sexist towards men. I understand that the women in the book are actively being oppressed by men, but the main character seems to also have serious perceptions. Men shouldn't rule the world, but they should also be manly and be ready to fight people to protect others? 

I enjoyed the plot, and I enjoyed the characters. There were definitely some elements that the author could have done with checking with medical / scientific professionals before writing about them though (e.g. a catheter isn't something that goes into your veins, it is what goes into your bladder).

Dystopian vision of a 'Bible Belt' -led US government denying women jobs, votes, and voices, by making them wear bracelets that count their words - after 100, there's a jolt of electrocution to the arm.

I'd heard poor reviews of this book so avoided it for a while, but I came across the audiobook. I'm glad to have read it - although it's not a book to enjoy - and it has been especially emotive this week as exactly the sort of language used by the fictional politicians has been reported by the actual Republican candidates in the 2024 election - immoral women, shut them up, family values. In the book, the main character wonders how it all came to this - the drip drip drip, how much can they get away with? While, also knowing that things like this already happen around the world, and it is only when imagining it happening in the West that it feels shocking.

The book is funny (finding humour where you can) and tense. It is kind of a copy of The Handmaid's Tale without the sexual slavery and forced pregnancy.

I love when a book makes me think and makes me feel something. That’s what this book is, it shows you the short path between women’s rights being slowly taken away until we are eventually silenced. I know it’s a dystopian book and it might be seen as silly to take it that seriously but it hits pretty close to home if you are paying attention to your surroundings.

I'll be totally honest, when I first looked at this I was pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy it. But actually, it's another one of those terrifying dystopian novels that, if you squint, isn't actually that outlandish at all. Imagine that every woman you know is prevented from working, every girl's education is limited to basic maths and home economics (no reading or writing), and every female is limited to speaking just 100 words per day on pain of electrocution. How do you even begin to start fighting back?

The plot feels like quite a slow burn; it's certainly not an action packed storyline, but even within the fairly domestic setting there is something about the way this is written that keeps you engaged. In my opinion, it's actually the stories of the main character's oldest and youngest child that really cry out to you as a reader; seeing a teenage boy influenced into 'drinking the Kool-Aid', not just through peer pressure but through educational indoctrination and media bias feels so real and relatable, particularly considering the issues the US are currently experiencing. And the instinct to scream at the unfairness of a little girl suffering a nightmare and not being able to call out for her mummy  then celebrating when she wins an award for saying the fewest words in a day... it's heartbreaking. 

The book reads like the author looks at those of a religious persuasion and is genuinely perplexed at how their beliefs lead to such fanatical behaviour.  Now, clearly that is not reflective of every person of faith, but the author has done a very good job at illustrate the 'extreme' end of Christian conservatism in the US (at least, it's recognisable from a Brit's POV!) It's also a great social commentary on the importance of using your voice when you can; vote when you have the opportunity, stand up for your rights and the rights of others and take an interest in current affairs, politics and the world around you so you can try to make a difference, rather than getting stuck in a situation you don't like without ever having said a word.

This book is very much the author writing ehat she knows; her accreditation as a neurolinguist is stated in the 'About the Author' section. While it does make for interesting reading, at the same time her knowledge does shine through in the use of technical jargon and other elements. As it is quite a niche field of interest, it does make the book a little hard to follow in places and a little 'mad scientist-y' in the resolution. But overall it's still a very readable and understandable book.

I was also slightly disappointed by the ending. I appreciate that the story is told from one character's perspective, but that does mean that the denouement isn't witnessed firsthand and so the key scene is actually just referred to in a vague conversation between two characters. After that slow build, it would have been nice to see the outcome firsthand . 

Pleasantly surprised by this!

I found out about the authors transphobic views after i read this book. 
It's an interesting and important concept but the excursion of said concept is not great. The entire book is written from the perspective of the main character, who is extremely privileged and gets everything she wants in the end- this privilege is never acknowledged and barely even mentioned. While the concept of the book would make it seem feminist, the lack of intersectionality throughout the novel cheapens and undermines the feminist intent.
The author is a TERF, an ideology that is determined to take away the voices of trans women. How ironic.