The books premise is given to us as handmaids tale but make it gay. This premise works of course but felt forced and contradictory in the world building since it was made as a dystopian.
We begin in a facility where the best of girls are sent. Early on we find out it’s all the girls found to even have a hint at being gay that are sent here to be reformed as refined housewives and then forced to marry or have a job snitching on others, which is the job our main character has.
My main complaint is that I wish the past and present were specified at the start of each chapter. I had to reorient myself every time and read ahead to see which POV I was reading before actually diving in. Especially since it wouldn’t be an exact back and forth every chapter.
Now on to my world building complaint. This dystopian world just felt so forced to me. For example: this world got rid of discrimination based on race but then went on to suggest a character be more “black” to get the job? How is that not job discrimination? And yet in a world where religion is no longer a thing (good luck getting rid of Christianity unless they were the ones who died out) they are forced to suffer under the gender binary in yet another patriarchal society.
I found the main character to be quite plain and not likeable. The Meadows was probably the worst reform house Ive ever seen because they just suck at their job. It’s conversion therapy disguised as a private school. Every girl is supposedly sent to this place because they like girls but they are never even told that this is a bad thing! Multiple times girls are caught kissing and yeah they will split the couples up but then they just ignore it. Hell one of the matrons offers Eleanor to randomly come live with her?? Why?? Who the heck knows! Everyone needs to be fired and this whole world just needs redone again
The ending was good as well! This is not a kill your gays book thank god and I did love the ending turn I guess bc I didn’t like [REDACTED] LOL! We love a gay happy ending for once!
Altogether if you’re a dystopian fan then this is definitely the book for you but if the premise is what enticed you, I would say take it with a grain of salt. Be sure to check out other reviews as well as I am just one lonely reviewer in a sea of many!
We begin in a facility where the best of girls are sent. Early on we find out it’s all the girls found to even have a hint at being gay that are sent here to be reformed as refined housewives and then forced to marry or have a job snitching on others, which is the job our main character has.
My main complaint is that I wish the past and present were specified at the start of each chapter. I had to reorient myself every time and read ahead to see which POV I was reading before actually diving in. Especially since it wouldn’t be an exact back and forth every chapter.
Now on to my world building complaint. This dystopian world just felt so forced to me. For example: this world got rid of discrimination based on race but then went on to suggest a character be more “black” to get the job? How is that not job discrimination? And yet in a world where religion is no longer a thing (good luck getting rid of Christianity unless they were the ones who died out) they are forced to suffer under the gender binary in yet another patriarchal society.
I found the main character to be quite plain and not likeable. The Meadows was probably the worst reform house Ive ever seen because they just suck at their job. It’s conversion therapy disguised as a private school. Every girl is supposedly sent to this place because they like girls but they are never even told that this is a bad thing! Multiple times girls are caught kissing and yeah they will split the couples up but then they just ignore it. Hell one of the matrons offers Eleanor to randomly come live with her?? Why?? Who the heck knows! Everyone needs to be fired and this whole world just needs redone again
The ending was good as well! This is not a kill your gays book thank god and I did love the ending turn I guess bc I didn’t like [REDACTED] LOL! We love a gay happy ending for once!
Altogether if you’re a dystopian fan then this is definitely the book for you but if the premise is what enticed you, I would say take it with a grain of salt. Be sure to check out other reviews as well as I am just one lonely reviewer in a sea of many!