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The Meadows
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"A story of pain, injustice, love, resistance, and hope, this glorious book will lodge inside you...
YA Dystopian LGBTQ+ Science Fiction
Ali A (78 KP) rated The Meadows in Books
Sep 11, 2023
Trigger Warnings: conversion therapy, homophobia
Every youth hopes to get a letter to attend one of the places where only the best and brightest go to be even better and brighter: the Estuary, the Glades, the Meadows…
When Eleanor is accepted to go to the Meadows, it means her escape from the Cove and a hard life by the sea. But, though the Meadows is filled with beautiful and wonderful things, it hoards dark secrets: its purpose is to reform its students from their attractions, to show them that the way of life is only possible through their way. Maybe Eleanor starts to believe, but then she meets Rose, and everything changes.
A year after leaving the Meadows, Eleanor and her friends are on the outside, living back in society - but not everything is as they hoped. Eleanor is an adjudicator, someone who makes sure former students haven’t strayed from the lives they were trained to live. But the past isn’t letting go of Eleanor and as secrets unravel, Eleanor must fight against everything she has been taught to be, especially if she can find the girl that she lost.
I originally was interested in this title when I saw it on BookishFirst because it was being marketed as “a queer, YA Handmaid's Tale meets Never Let Me Go” and I was all about that. I also love a good dystopian novel so this was really right up my alley.
That being said, I absolutely loved and devoured this novel over the course of the weekend when I didn’t have the interruption of work. The world building is intriguing and the “perfect” society is everything but (aren’t they all). The characters were also complex and engrossing - even the ones I wasn’t the biggest fans of, I still wanted them to succeed.
I absolutely recommend this book to those not only those who love dystopian novels, but those who want a page turning science fiction with queer characters.
*Thank you Dial Books and BookishFirst for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Every youth hopes to get a letter to attend one of the places where only the best and brightest go to be even better and brighter: the Estuary, the Glades, the Meadows…
When Eleanor is accepted to go to the Meadows, it means her escape from the Cove and a hard life by the sea. But, though the Meadows is filled with beautiful and wonderful things, it hoards dark secrets: its purpose is to reform its students from their attractions, to show them that the way of life is only possible through their way. Maybe Eleanor starts to believe, but then she meets Rose, and everything changes.
A year after leaving the Meadows, Eleanor and her friends are on the outside, living back in society - but not everything is as they hoped. Eleanor is an adjudicator, someone who makes sure former students haven’t strayed from the lives they were trained to live. But the past isn’t letting go of Eleanor and as secrets unravel, Eleanor must fight against everything she has been taught to be, especially if she can find the girl that she lost.
I originally was interested in this title when I saw it on BookishFirst because it was being marketed as “a queer, YA Handmaid's Tale meets Never Let Me Go” and I was all about that. I also love a good dystopian novel so this was really right up my alley.
That being said, I absolutely loved and devoured this novel over the course of the weekend when I didn’t have the interruption of work. The world building is intriguing and the “perfect” society is everything but (aren’t they all). The characters were also complex and engrossing - even the ones I wasn’t the biggest fans of, I still wanted them to succeed.
I absolutely recommend this book to those not only those who love dystopian novels, but those who want a page turning science fiction with queer characters.
*Thank you Dial Books and BookishFirst for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated 2001: A Space Odyssey in Books
Oct 16, 2017
The godfather of science fiction
Arthur C. Clarke's vision of a dystopian world, where technology has advanced to frightening levels, is how science fiction was really born in my opinion. Writing this book whilst working with Stanley Kubrick on the film makes it a good accompaniment, if not even better, because of the amount of detail into each facet.
But the main element is the eeriness which HAL brings to the book. At times you think the isolation is making the protagonist Dr Bowman hallucinate, and at times you think the machine really has become self-aware. No one can forget that epic monolith, and the symbolism that it brings - is it a metaphor for God or something much larger than oneself? The final chapter haunts me to this day.
There are a few obvious changes such as when Bowman visits Saturn rather than Jupiter, which Clarke explains is because of what could be feasibly built on set. So for fans of the film, definitely read the book.
But the main element is the eeriness which HAL brings to the book. At times you think the isolation is making the protagonist Dr Bowman hallucinate, and at times you think the machine really has become self-aware. No one can forget that epic monolith, and the symbolism that it brings - is it a metaphor for God or something much larger than oneself? The final chapter haunts me to this day.
There are a few obvious changes such as when Bowman visits Saturn rather than Jupiter, which Clarke explains is because of what could be feasibly built on set. So for fans of the film, definitely read the book.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated The Polaris Uprising (Polaris, #1) in Books
Jan 12, 2018
[The Polaris Uprising] has a similar plot line of many teen dystopian novels. It seems that the author [Jennifer Ibarra] borrowed the best parts of many and created her own. This is not a bad thing. In fact it helps to get YA readers to try new books.
The plot is set after a war in which the current leadership came to power and had promised to keep the people from want. Although the leader is called a president he is not democratically elected, in fact it represents a monarchy as he is prepping his youngest daughter to take his place when she come of age. His oldest daughter is a doctor who has just come of age and will marry her 'match'.
In this novel the idea that the state takes care of everything including your decisions is a driving force. It has let to the uprising as people want some freedom back. The sisters get entangled in this conflict. The question is what side will they take?
The plot is set after a war in which the current leadership came to power and had promised to keep the people from want. Although the leader is called a president he is not democratically elected, in fact it represents a monarchy as he is prepping his youngest daughter to take his place when she come of age. His oldest daughter is a doctor who has just come of age and will marry her 'match'.
In this novel the idea that the state takes care of everything including your decisions is a driving force. It has let to the uprising as people want some freedom back. The sisters get entangled in this conflict. The question is what side will they take?
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Red Clocks in Books
Apr 9, 2018
An interesting read
This book has a very interesting take on a dystopian future, and what is worrying is that it’s something you can imagine happening in our lifetime.
I like the fact that each chapter is headed by a different character, all of whose lives intersect during the course of the story. What I don’t understand is why bother calling them “The Biographer” etc if you end up finding out their real names through th either characters a third of the way into the book? Despite that the characters are well written, all with their own faults although some are more likeable than others meaning you don’t end up caring for some a story much as you should.
I think for the most part this book is very well written and it had me hooked, although parts of it did get a little rambling and unnecessary. It’s an interesting plot although I did feel a little dissatisfied with the ending, but it is a very relevant topic.
I like the fact that each chapter is headed by a different character, all of whose lives intersect during the course of the story. What I don’t understand is why bother calling them “The Biographer” etc if you end up finding out their real names through th either characters a third of the way into the book? Despite that the characters are well written, all with their own faults although some are more likeable than others meaning you don’t end up caring for some a story much as you should.
I think for the most part this book is very well written and it had me hooked, although parts of it did get a little rambling and unnecessary. It’s an interesting plot although I did feel a little dissatisfied with the ending, but it is a very relevant topic.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Mortal Engines (2018) in Movies
Apr 5, 2019
Another lavish dystopian YA adaptation with first-class art direction but a really thin story and bland characterisation. In a strange (and somewhat improbable) future world, lack of resources has forced cities and towns to mobilise themselves and wander the landscape on wheels and caterpillar tracks, preying on smaller habitations. Someone has an evil plan to do something or other, but this bit is quite forgettable.
Probably the main problem with this film for me was that it put me in mind of many great, quirky SF and fantasy stories (Brazil, Cities in Flight, Inverted World) without having more than a fraction of their narrative boldness: good-looking but forgettable characters wander about going through the motions of hackneyed character arcs, while lots of boxes get ticked but hardly anything surprising happens. It's actually quite an achievement for a movie which opens with London pursuing a small German town across country to wind up being quite as forgettably boring as this one does. Not sure if the books are any better, but this certainly qualifies as a huge waste of potential.
Probably the main problem with this film for me was that it put me in mind of many great, quirky SF and fantasy stories (Brazil, Cities in Flight, Inverted World) without having more than a fraction of their narrative boldness: good-looking but forgettable characters wander about going through the motions of hackneyed character arcs, while lots of boxes get ticked but hardly anything surprising happens. It's actually quite an achievement for a movie which opens with London pursuing a small German town across country to wind up being quite as forgettably boring as this one does. Not sure if the books are any better, but this certainly qualifies as a huge waste of potential.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Never Let Me Go in Books
Mar 6, 2018
Grim reading, but completely unexpected
For readers of Kazuo Ishiguro's other books, this will come as another surprise. While Remains of the Day is a period drama, and the Buried Giant is folklore, this novel reads as a dystopian fiction. What this shows is the author's incredible versatility at writing different themes, each as good as the other.
The story follows Kathy H., a carer to dying patients, and her mysterious upbringing alongside her charges at a secluded boarding school. From the beginning, we are introduced to the concept of 'donors', and it only becomes apparent after some time what it truly means. As a child, her and her fellow classmates were urged to be overly health-conscious with a special focus on artwork, which is said to be taken away to a gallery if exceptional. But when the students begin to question about its necessity, they understand that not all is what it seems.
From cloning to transplants, this book is both daring and alarming - and perhaps one of my favourite Ishiguro novels so far.
The story follows Kathy H., a carer to dying patients, and her mysterious upbringing alongside her charges at a secluded boarding school. From the beginning, we are introduced to the concept of 'donors', and it only becomes apparent after some time what it truly means. As a child, her and her fellow classmates were urged to be overly health-conscious with a special focus on artwork, which is said to be taken away to a gallery if exceptional. But when the students begin to question about its necessity, they understand that not all is what it seems.
From cloning to transplants, this book is both daring and alarming - and perhaps one of my favourite Ishiguro novels so far.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Glitch (Glitch, #1) in Books
Jun 6, 2018
I absolutely loved this book!! I was a bit scared thinking I wouldn't like it based on the majority of reviews, but I loved it!
It does start off a bit slow. I was about halfway through it before it started picking up. After that, it was hard to put down!
I love dystopian novels. (Brave New World being my favourite). This one didn't disappoint me either.
I could actually imagine something like this happening in the future. It's quite scary to think about.
I loved the characters of Zoe and Adrien. They are so cute together!!
However, I couldn't stand Max! I was secretly hoping throughout the book that he'd be killed off.
The one thing that really annoyed me about this book was the made up swear words. I understand that it's in the future, but still...surely they could've just been left out. Eventually, about 75% through the book, I just got used to it.
I would definitely recommend this book. I thought it was fantastic! I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series.
It does start off a bit slow. I was about halfway through it before it started picking up. After that, it was hard to put down!
I love dystopian novels. (Brave New World being my favourite). This one didn't disappoint me either.
I could actually imagine something like this happening in the future. It's quite scary to think about.
I loved the characters of Zoe and Adrien. They are so cute together!!
However, I couldn't stand Max! I was secretly hoping throughout the book that he'd be killed off.
The one thing that really annoyed me about this book was the made up swear words. I understand that it's in the future, but still...surely they could've just been left out. Eventually, about 75% through the book, I just got used to it.
I would definitely recommend this book. I thought it was fantastic! I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series.
Dawn Mue (1 KP) rated Ready Player One (2018) in Movies
Aug 23, 2018
Garbage
After reading the book and finding out the writer was involved with the screen play, I was excited to see this film. I regretted purchasing a ticket for this movie after the first 15 minutes. Both the book and movie follow a teen named Wade. They both take place in a dystopian style story. However the movie portrays Wade as a one dimensional character, giving his best thoughts, words, and feelings to other characters. Wade in the book was a well rounded character who was smart, witty, and at times sarcastic. Reading the book you can believe that Wade has the ability to beat the game he’s playing for control of the oasis. In the movie he is girl obsessed and just not the character I followed through the oasis to win the game. If you haven’t read the book, or only want to check out the graphics, then this movie is for you. If you loved the book, as I did, just keep the story in your imagination and skip the movie.
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