The Power

By Naomi Alderman

Paperback

382 pages

Fiction / Dystopia

This was a little harder for me to get into. It had many disturbing and uncomfortable scenes. But they were purposeful, not gratuitous. 

It was a really good read. The characters were complex and interesting, the switch of mindsets and power dynamics was believability portrayed, and the ending was satisfying. The frame story with the publisher letters was brilliant. 

first page of the story

The Circle

By Dave Eggers

My child was assigned this book in English class and was not feeling it. So she put it on my work desk and said: "Read this"

Thanks? 

It's a tech dystopia. 

I didn't like the main character. Neither did my child or her classmates. I don't think you're supposed to. 

It was fine. I was interested to finish reading it, but it also held no real surprises for me. 

I've been there!

This is very 1984. 

Honestly the whole thing reminded me of an updated 1984. Was that on purpose? Maybe.

It wasn't a terrible book. I'm not like mad that I read it or anything. I think maybe that people who grew up without the internet might read it in a different way than people who grew up on the internet. 

The Ones We're Meant to Find

By Joan He

Hardback

Scifi

Owlcrate 

371 pages

I zipped through this book today. 

It was sad, and beautiful, and intriguing. 

It sounds like it would be very tech heavy, very classic dystopia. But it reads poetically and emotionally. 

Author info - also, take a peep at those beautiful end papers!

author letter 

Seriously wonderful book. Stand alone novel (Yay, I don't have to wait for a part 2!)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

By Suzanne Collins

Hardback

517 pages

YA

A friend lent me this to read - it's a prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy. 

It is very separate from the other novels - it takes place way before, during the 10th annual Hunger Games. 

Some lines to consider before jumping into the story. It is a story of ambition, control, want, appearances, and power. 

The main character is Coriolanus Snow. Yes, future President Snow. It's actually been so long since I read the trilogy that I wasn't sure until I looked it up whether this was the same character, or an ancestor. 

But I was rooting for him almost the while time. 

There is a moment at the end that didn't feel right to me, but overall this was an enjoyable, readable book. And a quick read: I started it Thursday evening, and finished it Friday night - and I went to work during the day on Friday! 

(For the record - that means that I liked this one, and the first book in the trilogy. I dont actually like the second or third books!)

Parable of the Sower

By Octavia E. Butler

329 pages

Paperback

Speculative Fiction

This was another book club pick! I have never read any of her work before. 

The copyright on the book is 1993, and it's set in... not far from now...

It's actually kind of a terrifying dystopia because it feels so real and possible and plausible. There is no big enemy, just economics and climate change and greed. People are good and people are terrible. There is no sigular enemy to rise up and rebel against for the salvation of the oppressed. 

I started reading this book on Tuesday and finished it by Thursday. 

Page 1

To be honest, I was a little bored in the beginning. I kept putting it down, talking to people, getting snacks, and checking Facebook. 

But then, maybe 50 pages or so in, I got into it. 

The plot moved well. The characters weren't immensely engaging to me, but I was okay with that, somehow. It was structured as journal entries from the point of view of the main character, but felt more like date-stamped scenes. I dont know if that makes sense. 

It reminded me of The Road, a bit. 

It spans several years, but doesn't feel too drawn out. 

There is a sequel. Some of my book club members already got it (and some of them didn't like this one, so for sure wouldn't!)

I dont feel the need to read the sequel because I was satisfied by the ending, but apparently I was a minority there!

It was outside of my normal reading. I'm glad I read it. 

Flawed

By Cecelia Ahern
Hardback
321 pages

So first off, what a thoughtful use of a first jacket. This is a really well designed book. It is also a strikingly well written book. There were at least two times that the book almost brought me to tears!
It avoids a lot of tropes that are becoming staples in YA dystopian novels. The characters are varied and honest and the plot is engaging.

Warning! I really really really hope she writes the sequel! The ending is really left with another book in mind!