In this emotional and bleak YA novel, Stephanie Oakes creates relatable characters trapped in a world where they cannot be themselves.
Everyone hopes for a letter for the special schools where only the best and brightest go to make a name for themselves. For Eleanor, when she is accepted at the Meadows, it means escape from her life on the outskirts of the cities. It means food, safety, and education in a country ravaged by climate disaster. Everything there is beautiful as the girls learn to become good wives and women of society. But a sinister truth hides behind the flowers, and Eleanor must decide between her truth and what society wants her to be.
This is a Handmaid’s Tale (without raping or avert violence) for the YA crowd. Society has decided what women should be and the “schooling” is brainwashing the girls into another way of life. Oakes looks to US (and still current) history for the inspiration for her book. Oakes looks at trauma and how the same trauma can affect others in different ways. This is seen in each girl’s reactions to and life after The Meadows. The true struggle is with their inner selves.
I wish this wasn’t a standalone (I have seen nothing about a sequel). Oakes builds a world where there is so much potential. She leaves the world on a cliffhanger as a B-story, and other elements are well-developed but without a satisfying conclusion. The good news is that Eleanor has a full story. I feel like her journey for this book was complete while having the potential to have more told. But the focus of the novel isn’t the revolution developed within; it is the girls’ development of their inner selves. And Oakes takes on a turbulous journey through their stories.
The Meadows will strike chords with teens and adults, especially of the LGBTQI+ population. I was pulled into the world cheering for each girl in The Meadows.
Publication Date: September 12
I received an ARC from the publisher; all opinions are my own.
Everyone hopes for a letter for the special schools where only the best and brightest go to make a name for themselves. For Eleanor, when she is accepted at the Meadows, it means escape from her life on the outskirts of the cities. It means food, safety, and education in a country ravaged by climate disaster. Everything there is beautiful as the girls learn to become good wives and women of society. But a sinister truth hides behind the flowers, and Eleanor must decide between her truth and what society wants her to be.
This is a Handmaid’s Tale (without raping or avert violence) for the YA crowd. Society has decided what women should be and the “schooling” is brainwashing the girls into another way of life. Oakes looks to US (and still current) history for the inspiration for her book. Oakes looks at trauma and how the same trauma can affect others in different ways. This is seen in each girl’s reactions to and life after The Meadows. The true struggle is with their inner selves.
I wish this wasn’t a standalone (I have seen nothing about a sequel). Oakes builds a world where there is so much potential. She leaves the world on a cliffhanger as a B-story, and other elements are well-developed but without a satisfying conclusion. The good news is that Eleanor has a full story. I feel like her journey for this book was complete while having the potential to have more told. But the focus of the novel isn’t the revolution developed within; it is the girls’ development of their inner selves. And Oakes takes on a turbulous journey through their stories.
The Meadows will strike chords with teens and adults, especially of the LGBTQI+ population. I was pulled into the world cheering for each girl in The Meadows.
Publication Date: September 12
I received an ARC from the publisher; all opinions are my own.