“The Meadows” by Stephanie Oakes is without a doubt one of my favorite reads of 2023 thus far. This novel is atmospheric and unyieldingly beautiful, yet haunting. It reminds me of both “1984” and “The Handmaid’s Tale,” but this novel is much more reader-friendly than the aforementioned.
The writing style is unparalleled; I was so enraptured I found it nearly impossible to put this book down! In this young adult novel, Stephanie Oakes crafted a fictional reality that truly comes alive as you read. The characters felt three dimensional and real, which made the book so much more harrowing. I found Eleanor to be especially relatable and am so glad she was able to stay true to herself in the end.
My one complaint about this novel is that there was no indicator at the start of each chapter to let us know when the events were taking place; at times it took me a minute to orientate myself as to when we were in the novel. Nonetheless, I loved how the book jumped back and forth between timelines, it definitely made the story more interesting!
Overall, “The Meadows” is an empowering read that I wish would have been around when I was growing up. The overall message of acceptance and that someone is good just as they are is a theme especially relevant today. I sincerely hope we get a sequel, as I’m not ready to move on from these characters!
The writing style is unparalleled; I was so enraptured I found it nearly impossible to put this book down! In this young adult novel, Stephanie Oakes crafted a fictional reality that truly comes alive as you read. The characters felt three dimensional and real, which made the book so much more harrowing. I found Eleanor to be especially relatable and am so glad she was able to stay true to herself in the end.
My one complaint about this novel is that there was no indicator at the start of each chapter to let us know when the events were taking place; at times it took me a minute to orientate myself as to when we were in the novel. Nonetheless, I loved how the book jumped back and forth between timelines, it definitely made the story more interesting!
Overall, “The Meadows” is an empowering read that I wish would have been around when I was growing up. The overall message of acceptance and that someone is good just as they are is a theme especially relevant today. I sincerely hope we get a sequel, as I’m not ready to move on from these characters!