The Power
By: Naomi Alderman
Grade: C
It would be just as bad as ever.
Naomi Alderman’s book is about the young women of the world waking up and having the power to electrocute people including waking up the power in some of the older women of the world. The Power is also in the form of a manuscript- letters at the beginning and the end- a historical look at this event by a male author.
The format started out as not really a big deal. In fact I forgot about it but there were a couple of issues in the beginning that I tripped over. That bugged me. Twice the POV seemed to switch right in the middle of someone else’s. There was this weird couple of chapters about the family history of one character that was completely useless. In fact later on in the book they called the mother by a completely different name than whoever that chapter was about.
It was super off putting and annoyed me. Then I remembered this was a manuscript so I couldn’t help think. you know? Maybe it was purposeful.
We get several points-of-views but really only four that are important. And again having this be a historical manuscript kind of story calls into questions the use of one of the main characters hearing a voice in their heads. Which gets even stranger at the end.
Obviously this book does deal with some very important issues (Trigger Warning: Female on Male rape amongst other things.) It’s interesting to look at it from this point-of-view and to seriously roll my eyes at some of the interactions (i.e., the male on-line terrorist group you could probably find them anywhere on the Internet without women having any power). There’s a certain sense of vengeance and right when you have women who were tied to floors and trafficked getting revenge and taking control but then it escalates and gets out of control quick when male refugees are being raped and murder and young boys mutilated.
The government, as most governments in books and movies like this, is completely useless.
Despite my problems this was an interesting book full of good ideas that tried to tackle a lot of issues- for the most part it did it okay. I just think it could have been better.
Recommend: Eh. If your interested in writings with gender issues go for it. Otherwise I could take it or leave it.
hehe yup I strongly suspect it would be pretty bad 😉 Shame the pov switching was so confusing and I get why it was off putting. Think I’ll give this one a miss- thanks for the heads up. Fantastic review!