I know looking at the star rating alone, it gives the notion that I absolutely despised this book. I did not. However, the more I think on it as the minutes pass on I realize that, beautiful writing aside, I can't really say I enjoyed what I read? There's several thoughts passing through my mind that want to be said first, and so I'm having a tough time really expressing what I did and didn't like about IWHNKM. I think that the ideas about womanhood, menstruation, misogyny, etc presented are a bit conservative for my liking. I may have missed something but it feels as though all the women, despite their different ages, more or less have the same view and past in regards to womanhood that I just don't cosign. I mean, yeah most women go through very similar situations in this world but... woman are all not the same especially when we begin to talk about women of color, trans women, non-binary individuals assigned female at birth, and so on. I don't know... 

The setting itself is extremely intriguing and it left me wanting to know more. As with most dystopian novels they all have something to say. These books oftentimes have a very clear message that it's trying to convey to the readers. I can't begin to pin point what we're supposed to gain from this book; so much of it is just... There. Like a little too misty in it's prose for me to truly grasp any one sentiment. For a book that's as short as this, the plot just went on and went nowhere. Our main character, after they escaped, continued to do the same action over and over, virtually making it seem as if nothing at all was going on.

And like someone else had said, just because a book is super philological, hard to read, lyrical, and wordy doesn't make it good, nor are you supposed to ignore all questions and concerns you have have in regards to the novel. I feel like books such as these come across a bit pretentious; especially when we talk about the main character.

"The Child" is very... well knowing for a character that's supposed to be extremely naive and innocent. I did not enjoy being in her head as the way she spoke kind of got on my nerves? I mean, when I think about who she's supposed to be in this world vs. how she speaks I felt that there was a disconnect. It would make more sense to me if our protagonist was perhaps older or if it was through the point of view of one of the women who have seen life before this ailen-like circumstances came to be. Even if the older woman in question had her memories erased as to continue the idea of naivety in the wake of evil. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that I have more questions than this book has answers.

I think much of this is very... One dimensional, surprisingly. Meandering. Repetitive. Rambling. Some of the ideas here are quite sexist and just left a bad taste in my mouth.

Besides that, I do think this is beautifully written and I even considered giving this 4 stars before I truly sat on it and decided two and a half, almost three, stars was rather appropriate. It's one I will be thinking about for a while, and one I would recommend people to read, if not for a mindful discussion, then to just hear their personal thoughts on the politics that the author wants us to digest.