A quick, gripping read that’s a challenging portrait of a not-to outlandish dystopian future. I felt for all of the buildup the ending felt a bit rushed but overall it was a great read.

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'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’ve not picked up a book in a while and this one had me keen to continue which is always a plus. The ending was rushed, too much so, and there were some strange decisions made about how to tie off the loose ends. Seems strange for our protagonist to take the back seat for so much of the ending, given the subject. And I’m not a fan on the awkward love triangle? Line? Comparison thing going on with her decision making as it seemed a little too on the nose. But overall, the premise is interesting, the buildup is engaging and then of course you have to know how it ends.