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Merissa (13600 KP) rated When the Glow Lights the Woods in Books

Jan 5, 2023  
When the Glow Lights the Woods
When the Glow Lights the Woods
Eule Grey | 2022 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A sweet story where magic can happen.
WHEN THE GLOW LIGHTS THE WOODS is set in a post-apocalyptic world divided in two by a wall. We start off on the rural side with Kite. He contributes to the community by helping out on their farm and being a teacher. This year it is his turn to go to the other side of the Wall and meet those who live there. He is worried as he has been told they are robots and he doesn't want to be assimilated.

When he gets there, he realises just how different things are. Everything seems shiny and new but no one will meet his eyes, apart from one angry-seeming young man called Manu. Kite and Manu learn about each other and try to bring both sides together in time for a seasonal HEA for all.

This was a gentle story of opposites. Both sides thought they were doing the right thing to prevent war, but both sides had something the other needed. I would have liked to have known a little more about the world itself, and what happened to the Elders. I loved the slow romance between Manu and Kite, the lost love between Mal and Nellak, and how each person who went over had their own experiences.

A sweet story where magic can happen. Definitely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Boy I Am in Books

Dec 22, 2020  
The Boy I Am
The Boy I Am
K L Kettle | 2021 | Dystopia, Thriller, Young Adult (YA)
9
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Imagine a world where women are safe from men. Imagine a world where women are in charge. Imagine a world where men no longer reduce women to something to flirt with or dismiss as beneath them. This is the way of life in K. L. Kettle's dystopian novel The Boy I Am. War has left the Earth in ruins, and it is no longer safe to go outside, yet humanity is surviving in tall, secure tower blocks overseen by the Chancellor. Men and boys are confined to the basement floors as a punishment for their behaviour during the war. To earn their right to live on the upper floors, they must learn to behave like a gentleman, and never look at a woman's skin without their permission.

The protagonist, Jude, is running out of time to earn the right to live amongst the women. If he does not gain a sponsor, he faces a future in the dangerous mines. Yet, Jude is not sure he wants to live with the women, who have demeaned him for his gender since his birth. He has seen another side to them and believes the Chancellor has killed his best friend. Jude wants to escape, risk the poisonous fog outside and search for a better life. To do this, the Chancellor must die.

The way women treat men and boys is uncomfortable to read. Female readers, in particular, may have experienced similar treatment at the hands of men. Feminists desire an equal world, but there is the risk of going too far the other way. Yet, as Jude discovers, it is not as black and white as Female versus Male. An underground gang of women known as Hysterics are also trying to escape. They want to save themselves and the boys from a society not run by women, but by the elite.

K. L. Kettle explains her intentions behind the novel in a letter to the reader at the end of the book. She quotes Lord Acton's (1834-1902) proverb "absolute power corrupts absolutely" and questions if everyone is equal, does everyone have the ability to abuse the power they have? What may have seemed a good idea for humanity after the war, has become an oppressive state where no one is safe from those in power, not even the women. The Chancellor controls everyone, but Jude and the Hysterics are determined to take that power away from her.

Telling the story from Jude's perspective highlights the faults in today's societies. Many are unaware of the belittling behaviour happening around them, but when the roles are reversed, they are obvious. The Boy I Am is both thrilling and eye-opening, challenging gender roles and power dynamics in general. Those who have read books such as Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman are guaranteed to enjoy K. L. Kettle's novel.
  
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