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.

I had to read this for an Environmental Literature course, and I haven't hated a book this much in awhile. It's a scientifically experimental, dystopian, ultra-feminist, tyrannical, environmentally consequential, uncomfortably graphic acid trip. In Space!

Is anyone else getting tired of the trope where humans have to live in a spaceship because we ruined our planet?

While this is a pretty well researched retelling of Joan of Arc, it's implausible, it's not well written, and it's graphic. For example, Christine's "masturbation" scene as an act of rebellion when she literally doesn't have genitalia but attempts to make herself orgasm anyway, while being filmed on surveillance?! Yeah, we read that one aloud in class and it was awkward! and the scene where Jean de Men reaches in and rips out the reproductive organs of a women he is experimenting on and splatters them across the wall?! While she's conscious?! I could go on, but I'll spare you.

Certain key plot points were simply not possible, or even plausible. It was to a point of disbelief that I couldn't actually become interested in the book.

Not to mention, all of these characters are ripped off from various historical or mythological figures. (Joan of Arc, Christine de Pizan, Jean de Mean, the list is endless).

I could go on for hours about the things I didn't like about this book. I do not recommend it.

I loved this as an ode to women and to self care and mental health. I'm sure these words are exactly what many people didnt know they needed until they read them, and that's the power of poetry. I really enjoy Nikita Gill's work, she writes beautifully and unapologetically and bravely and this collection illustrates that skill set.

I'm giving it 3/5 because I don't think I'm reading it at the right time for me, but I still appreciate it.

if I'm going to be honest, the title of this book dissuaded me for awhile. Now that I've read it through, I'm happy to report that John Green has returned with a realistic representation of the way anxiety can manifest. I liked the depth this book had in comparison to some of his earlier works. It's worth the read.