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ClareR (5874 KP) rated Femlandia in Books

Oct 19, 2021  
Femlandia
Femlandia
Christina Dalcher | 2021 | Dystopia, Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Femlandia was an enjoyable, if rather frustrating read. The end of civilisation doesn’t come from a killer virus, zombies or climate disaster, but instead is caused by a total economic collapse. The world (particularly the USA) goes broke. Food becomes prohibitively expensive, services are shut off, people are made homeless: it’s every man/ woman for themselves. Except, as is often the case in these circumstances, it’s the women and children who suffer the most.

Miranda Reynolds is left to fend for herself and her teenage daughter when her husband literally drives himself off a cliff. She realises her only safe space is with the mother she hasn’t spoken to in a very long time, and the community that she has set up: Femlandia. It’s her last resort.

Now, if I were Miranda, I wouldn’t have prevaricated for so long - I would have turned up on Femlandia’s doorstep pretty fast. This is regardless of the fact that it’s nothing like the safe haven it has always sold itself as.

As I’ve said, this frustrated and gripped me in equal measure. There are plenty of things in this, that as a feminist, made my toes curl. But let’s face it: who wants to read a dystopian novel where everything is lovely, there are no problems, and everyone lives happily ever after? That’s like NO dystopia I’ve ever read about!

This looks at human nature in all it’s glory and ignominy. It looks at some uncomfortable subjects: abuse, control and prejudice (especially misandry and anti-trans). But do you know what? I raced through this, it gave me a lot to think about, and I think it’s well worth a read.
  
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Debbiereadsbook (1424 KP) rated Fall to Pieces in Books

Dec 11, 2021  
Fall to Pieces
Fall to Pieces
Becky Flade | 2021 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
loved the back seat the romance takes!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I liked this book, I liked it a lot!

Xavier is sent to assess Alexandra's mental capacity to do her job, following the suicide of her detective husband. But things are not as they seem and Xavier and Alex are soon fighting her department as well as a child killer hellbent on driving Alex mad.

This is a dark book. Suicide, child murder and abuse. How cops deal with stress. And I liked that. I liked that it made me think about those things. I have no triggers though, and some readers might not like it.

Both Alex and Xavier have a say, and they have a lot to say about a lot of things! Both of them are suffering from things that happened but while Alex' is (mostly) clear from the start, it takes time to get the whole picture. Xavier's pain is far deeper and we don't get the whole picture there til much later. I like being made to wait.

The romance between Alex and Xavier takes a back seat to the crime aspect of the book and I loved the twist that took. I did think Alex would push Xavier away more than once and, Lord she tries! But Xavier is strong and even though the reasons he comes into Alex' life are beyond his control, keeping her safe is within his control and he will do that.

I liked this, a lot. It's the first I've read of this author, I would like to read more.

4 stars

*same worded review ill appear elsewhere