Imagine that But I'm a Cheerleader takes place in the world of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, and you'll have a good idea what you're in for with The Meadows. This is a light spoiler, admittedly—the protagonist, Eleanor, doesn't understand why she's been selected for The Meadows until halfway through the novel—but attentive readers will catch onto the school's purpose within the first few chapters: to reform queer young women into "proper" wives and mothers. This skewering of societal anxiety around gender and sexuality isn't new, especially in dystopian literature, but Oakes' novel benefits from solid world-building and genuinely excellent characterization and seems well-positioned to bring these ideas to a new generation.
In the world of The Meadows, devastating climate change has led to upheaval in the social order and a rejection of difference of any kind: racial, gendered, or sexual. Women have been forced out of positions of power and are expected to find satisfaction in heterosexual marriage and motherhood, and everyone is subject to the kind of oppressive surveillance that would make Big Brother envious. The horrors of our world are turned up to eleven in The Meadows, but Eleanor's adolescent angst feels familiar: she's crushing on her best friend, unsure of where she belongs, and desperate for the acceptance that seems within reach if only she can change everything about herself that matters. Sometimes dystopian novels prioritize ideas to the detriment of character, but Oakes' portrayal of the young people growing up in this world is rich and complex. Eleanor is a compelling main character, and she has not one but two crushable love interests(!). I really loved the beginning of the novel, which centers on the social dynamics of The Meadows and the slow unveiling of its secrets. The end, which takes place once Eleanor reenters the world, felt somewhat less focused in comparison. Even so, I flew through this book in two days and am excited to put it on my school shelves this fall. Thank you to Bookish First and Penguin Teen for the ARC!
In the world of The Meadows, devastating climate change has led to upheaval in the social order and a rejection of difference of any kind: racial, gendered, or sexual. Women have been forced out of positions of power and are expected to find satisfaction in heterosexual marriage and motherhood, and everyone is subject to the kind of oppressive surveillance that would make Big Brother envious. The horrors of our world are turned up to eleven in The Meadows, but Eleanor's adolescent angst feels familiar: she's crushing on her best friend, unsure of where she belongs, and desperate for the acceptance that seems within reach if only she can change everything about herself that matters. Sometimes dystopian novels prioritize ideas to the detriment of character, but Oakes' portrayal of the young people growing up in this world is rich and complex. Eleanor is a compelling main character, and she has not one but two crushable love interests(!). I really loved the beginning of the novel, which centers on the social dynamics of The Meadows and the slow unveiling of its secrets. The end, which takes place once Eleanor reenters the world, felt somewhat less focused in comparison. Even so, I flew through this book in two days and am excited to put it on my school shelves this fall. Thank you to Bookish First and Penguin Teen for the ARC!