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<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
“Violence always gets results.” But at what cost? Victoria Sadler’s dystopian novel <i>Darkness</i> explores and all too realistic scenario set in a not so distant future. The western world has fallen due to war and economic collapse. London has become a ghost city due to the death of thousands of people. Those not killed by bombs or deadly virus succumb to suicide or death by natural causes – if the cold and starvation can be labeled natural.
Laura Lewis is the sole survivor in her block of flats and now needs to make her way through the dangerous streets to St Paul’s Cathedral where what remains of the State will provide her with safety. However before she reaches her final destination she is ambushed by an army of women, a threat to the nation, known as RAZR – Resistance Against State Reformation. Jane, the leader of the resistance, believes she has saved Laura from a fate worse than death. But, as Laura discovers, RAZR may result in an even crueler future.
RAZR was born from a hatred of men, a guerilla feminist movement seizing the opportunity to obliterate the patriarchal society. Since the beginning of time men have oppressed women, regarding them as possessions with which they can do as they please. Despite the apparent equality achieved through past protests, the government, i.e. men, still control the lives of women. RAZR particularly focus on women’s rights to their own body, and are angry at the State’s current use for women: to procreate.
<i>Darkness</i> is full of radical violence, often ending in the mass death of male soldiers. With barely a break to take a breath, the narrative goes from one action scene to the next, heightening the excitement as the novel reaches its climax. As the reader learns more about RAZR and the State, opinions are constantly changed. Who is good, who is bad? Who can Laura trust? Then, to confuse things even more, Laura is not who she initially appears to be at all.
The amount of violence in this novel is disturbing, particularly as the majority of deaths are caused without guilty conscience. <i>Darkness</i> highlights the horrors of war and the wild nature of humanity. Without men and women being able to live in harmony there is no peace, on the other hand, complete equality is not possible. Furthermore, are RAZR feminists or terrorists? It is an obvious fact that the human race cannot survive with merely one gender of the species, so is RAZR doing more harm than good by fatally punishing all men?
Overall, <i>Darkness</i> poses more questions than it answers, yet it is such a griping novel. Women, particularly feminists will enjoy the powerful messages expressed by RAZR, but equally, readers will understand Laura’s hesitation. With so many plot twists to get your head around, you will never get bored of this story. With such an ambiguous ending, it is unclear whether <i>Darkness</i> will remain a standalone novel, or be continued with a sequel. Whatever the case, it will be interesting to read what the feminist, Victoria Sadler, comes up with next.
“Violence always gets results.” But at what cost? Victoria Sadler’s dystopian novel <i>Darkness</i> explores and all too realistic scenario set in a not so distant future. The western world has fallen due to war and economic collapse. London has become a ghost city due to the death of thousands of people. Those not killed by bombs or deadly virus succumb to suicide or death by natural causes – if the cold and starvation can be labeled natural.
Laura Lewis is the sole survivor in her block of flats and now needs to make her way through the dangerous streets to St Paul’s Cathedral where what remains of the State will provide her with safety. However before she reaches her final destination she is ambushed by an army of women, a threat to the nation, known as RAZR – Resistance Against State Reformation. Jane, the leader of the resistance, believes she has saved Laura from a fate worse than death. But, as Laura discovers, RAZR may result in an even crueler future.
RAZR was born from a hatred of men, a guerilla feminist movement seizing the opportunity to obliterate the patriarchal society. Since the beginning of time men have oppressed women, regarding them as possessions with which they can do as they please. Despite the apparent equality achieved through past protests, the government, i.e. men, still control the lives of women. RAZR particularly focus on women’s rights to their own body, and are angry at the State’s current use for women: to procreate.
<i>Darkness</i> is full of radical violence, often ending in the mass death of male soldiers. With barely a break to take a breath, the narrative goes from one action scene to the next, heightening the excitement as the novel reaches its climax. As the reader learns more about RAZR and the State, opinions are constantly changed. Who is good, who is bad? Who can Laura trust? Then, to confuse things even more, Laura is not who she initially appears to be at all.
The amount of violence in this novel is disturbing, particularly as the majority of deaths are caused without guilty conscience. <i>Darkness</i> highlights the horrors of war and the wild nature of humanity. Without men and women being able to live in harmony there is no peace, on the other hand, complete equality is not possible. Furthermore, are RAZR feminists or terrorists? It is an obvious fact that the human race cannot survive with merely one gender of the species, so is RAZR doing more harm than good by fatally punishing all men?
Overall, <i>Darkness</i> poses more questions than it answers, yet it is such a griping novel. Women, particularly feminists will enjoy the powerful messages expressed by RAZR, but equally, readers will understand Laura’s hesitation. With so many plot twists to get your head around, you will never get bored of this story. With such an ambiguous ending, it is unclear whether <i>Darkness</i> will remain a standalone novel, or be continued with a sequel. Whatever the case, it will be interesting to read what the feminist, Victoria Sadler, comes up with next.
Ross (3282 KP) rated Isn't It Romantic (2019) in Movies
Mar 4, 2019
A slightly self-aware rom-com (yet still a rom-com)
Isn't it Romantic is a self-aware pseudo re-telling of the Bridget Jones' Diary plot. Perennial walkover Natalie (Rebel Wilson) fawns over hunky douche-bag men, while missing the decent, down-to-earth man who clearly has feelings for her. Told from an early age by her mum (a brief, wasted appearance by Jennifer Saunders) that she isn't good enough for fairy tale romance and she shouldn't expect it, Natalie is a huge critic of Rom-Coms and hates their cheesy plots. A bump on the head sees her waking up in a fantasy version of New York where men fall at her feet and she has the apartment of her dreams and a new gay best friend. Finding herself in the plot of her own rom-com, she ends up dating the aforementioned hunky douche-bag while the decent, down-to-earth guy dates a swimwear model.
Some laugh-out-loud moments from here on, as her annoyance at the ridiculous cheesy world she's found herself in. Something similar to Disney Channel's Teen Beach Movie (which I don't mind admitting I love!), but with more adult themes.
But in the end the film lets itself down by falling into the trap of the typical rom-com plot. It nearly saves itself and serves as a good, feminist message but then lets itself down in the dying minutes by reverting to type.
A good funny rom-com but not necessarily the anti-rom-com it bills itself as. Watched with my wife and 11-year-old daughter, it is mostly fine for that age.
Some laugh-out-loud moments from here on, as her annoyance at the ridiculous cheesy world she's found herself in. Something similar to Disney Channel's Teen Beach Movie (which I don't mind admitting I love!), but with more adult themes.
But in the end the film lets itself down by falling into the trap of the typical rom-com plot. It nearly saves itself and serves as a good, feminist message but then lets itself down in the dying minutes by reverting to type.
A good funny rom-com but not necessarily the anti-rom-com it bills itself as. Watched with my wife and 11-year-old daughter, it is mostly fine for that age.
ClareR (5603 KP) rated Roar: A Story for Every Woman in Books
Nov 13, 2019
On the whole, I enjoyed this book of short stories. They’re all stories about women who are unhappy about some aspect of their lives, have lost their way and are working out how to get back. They’re all a bit magical realism, and just plain fantasy sometimes (this is not a bad thing for me, by the way!), and ‘Feminist Aesop’s Fables’ kept popping in to my head. It’s definitely a book to dip in to, and I did so whilst reading other books - I could see that reading all of these in one go could be overwhelming.
I think that these stories have a bit of something for everyone. I didn’t enjoy all of them, but I did have my favourites: The Woman Who Grew Wings is about a woman who flees her country with her family to live in the West, and the negative attitudes of the other mothers at the school gates (they’re not nice people) - this brought me to tears actually. The Woman Who Was Swallowed Up by the Floor and Who Met Lots of Other Women Down There Too - because who HASN’T had this happen to them at least once in their lives?! The Woman Who Ate Photographs was another tear jerker about how visual prompts (the photos) can bring back feelings connected to smell, touch, and the memories of our children before they grew into hairy teenagers (this one did for me, I’m afraid!).
I think all of these stories will resonate with someone.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and review.
I think that these stories have a bit of something for everyone. I didn’t enjoy all of them, but I did have my favourites: The Woman Who Grew Wings is about a woman who flees her country with her family to live in the West, and the negative attitudes of the other mothers at the school gates (they’re not nice people) - this brought me to tears actually. The Woman Who Was Swallowed Up by the Floor and Who Met Lots of Other Women Down There Too - because who HASN’T had this happen to them at least once in their lives?! The Woman Who Ate Photographs was another tear jerker about how visual prompts (the photos) can bring back feelings connected to smell, touch, and the memories of our children before they grew into hairy teenagers (this one did for me, I’m afraid!).
I think all of these stories will resonate with someone.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and review.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Admission (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
What’s the secret to getting in? Everyone wants to know this at some point in their lives, and to some extent Admission has the answer.
Tina Fey plays Portia, a Princeton admmissions officer. She has a very uneventful life; she lives with her very long time boyfriend and has worked for the university for sixteen years. Things are pretty set for Portia, she even has her eye on a promotion. This is when John Pressman (Paul Rudd) calls her to come to his alternative school to meet Jerimiah (Nat Wolff) a gifted student whose past would never get him into Princeton. Out of a competitive streak to try and get the promotion she goes to John’s school. John tells Portia he thinks she is Jerimiah’s birth mother and she pulls out all the stops trying to get Jerimiah admitted, to try and fulfill his dream. Along the way sparks fly between Portia and John.
Admission is a great movie, it has some interesting ideas about parenting and life in general. Tina Fey is totally believable as the woman in a rut who gets dumped and rebounds into a completely different life. Rudd is a wonderfully refreshing blend of a nice guy who makes, and can admit to making, mistakes. Perhaps my favorite character was Portia’s mother, Susannah (Lily Tomlin). Her take on feminist beliefs was hilarious. The story is solid too, for the most part. I would have questioned some things Portia just let slide. Other than that; its tale of growth, both tennager and adult is excellent.
So what’s the secret to getting in? Buy a movie ticket and find out.
Tina Fey plays Portia, a Princeton admmissions officer. She has a very uneventful life; she lives with her very long time boyfriend and has worked for the university for sixteen years. Things are pretty set for Portia, she even has her eye on a promotion. This is when John Pressman (Paul Rudd) calls her to come to his alternative school to meet Jerimiah (Nat Wolff) a gifted student whose past would never get him into Princeton. Out of a competitive streak to try and get the promotion she goes to John’s school. John tells Portia he thinks she is Jerimiah’s birth mother and she pulls out all the stops trying to get Jerimiah admitted, to try and fulfill his dream. Along the way sparks fly between Portia and John.
Admission is a great movie, it has some interesting ideas about parenting and life in general. Tina Fey is totally believable as the woman in a rut who gets dumped and rebounds into a completely different life. Rudd is a wonderfully refreshing blend of a nice guy who makes, and can admit to making, mistakes. Perhaps my favorite character was Portia’s mother, Susannah (Lily Tomlin). Her take on feminist beliefs was hilarious. The story is solid too, for the most part. I would have questioned some things Portia just let slide. Other than that; its tale of growth, both tennager and adult is excellent.
So what’s the secret to getting in? Buy a movie ticket and find out.
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