I went into The Mercies with no expectations, except that it was supposed to fit the non-patriarchal society prompt of the PopSugar reading challenge. Other than that, I didn't know anything about it, not even that it was based on true events.

Well, it didn't really fit the prompt, which was disappointing, but that is not the book's fault whatsoever. I felt like the first half was kind of a slog and if you're like me and don't particularly enjoy a slower pace, it may be hard to get through, but I'd say that it was worth it and the second half more than made up for it.

I absolutely loved seeing the development of Maren and Ursa's friendship and I also loved the very unexpected queer reprensentation. The topic of the story itself was extremely frustrating and infuriating. Especially when you start to draw lines between today's society and see that not much has changed.

I usually don't enjoy open endings, but I felt like the author made the right choice here. I liked that she focused more on the women and their everyday and did not include vivid descriptions of the horrors they had to endure. I feel like she passed on their story in a very respectful way.