While I loved the idea that is the backbone of this novel, I did not particularly love the execution.

Alderman successfully turns society on its head by illustrating the way that power can be gendered and what happens when one gender is seen as superior to another while the other is systematically oppressed (Hi America 👋🏼, this is everything wrong with your societal treatment of women) in a way that seems implausible at first, but incredibly real. The examination of this issue is raw, empowering, and scary. This book tackles rape, murder, power-hunger, inequality, terrorism, journalistic integrity, gender-relationships, violence, and what happens when your entire world shifts on its axis, without holding back. It's an important read.

That being said, I felt like some of the characters in this story were simply one-dimensional, or only used as a device. I also felt like certain elements of the plot were not developed or particularly engaging. That might just be me *shrugs*

Overall, worth the read.