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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Marriage Act in Books

Jan 22, 2023  
The Marriage Act
The Marriage Act
John Marrs | 2023 | Dystopia, Thriller
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Set in a time not too far away, this is a dark and rather creepy tale that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Would you 'upgrade' your marriage if it meant getting preferential treatment ... the best jobs, the best houses, better health care, education, etc., etc., etc.? But then what if that meant artificial intelligence was listening in to snap shots of your conversations and then analysing them to make sure you are keeping to the terms of your marriage? And if not, a scale of interventions would be put into action. Would you still do it? Well, The Marriage Act will probably make you think again!

Mr Marrs certainly gets you thinking and poses really interesting questions and dilemmas in this well plotted, perfectly paced book told from the viewpoints of his well created characters and with some great twists and turns.

Thoroughly enjoyable and quite an unsettling book that actually doesn't feel that far from becoming a reality! How many have an Alexa, Siri or similar digital voice assistant in the home or on your wrist that just sits there? I'm not a conspiracy theorist, however I imagine it wouldn't take much for a law to be passed in the name of improving the economy or society in some way, then a switch is flicked and the process would start ... definitely not beyond the realms of reality and very scary!

This is the second of Mr Marrs' books I have enjoyed and I will definitely read more in the future and thanks must go to Pan Macmillan, Macmillan and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Marriage Act.
  
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ClareR (5779 KP) rated Young Women in Books

Apr 12, 2023  
Young Women
Young Women
Jessica Moor | 2022 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Young Women is set against the #MeToo era. It’s a fascinating read, and it was interesting to take a look into the lives of Emily and her friend Tamsin.

Emily meets Tamsin at a protest march and they become friends very quickly. Tamsin is an actress who seems to be living a very expensive life. She owns a flat in Soho, eats in expensive restaurants and drinks in even more expensive bars. In contrast, Emily shares a small flat, and works for a charity that deals with women’s advocacy. Her life is very different, and she’s excited by what Tamsin has to offer.

When an actress comes forward to accuse a film director of sexual assault, Emily realises that Tamsin is involved in some way.

This novel looks at how women can be coerced into keeping quiet about assault and in this case, with large sums of money. We see how men have all the power, how acts of sexual assault by males are all too frequent and commonplace, and how women can make themselves complicit whilst experiencing trauma.

There’s a lot to talk about in this novel, and I think it would make an outstanding book club book. It would certainly create a great deal of discussion around both sides of the equation. All of the men are written as complication inappropriate behaviours around women, and the women initially take the money in exchange for their silence, only to disclose what happened to them later.

This is a brilliant book, I hope people will read it and discuss the questions it raises about our society as a whole.
  
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ClareR (5779 KP) rated Circus of Wonders in Books

Mar 15, 2022  
Circus of Wonders
Circus of Wonders
Elizabeth Macneal | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Romance
10
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
After reading The Doll Factory, I was on the look out for Elizabeth Macneal’s next book. Circus of Wonders has NOT disappointed me.

Elizabeth Macneal has described what it is like to be on the margins of society - an outcast because you don’t look the same as everyone else. Nell lives in a time where you are shunned for having birthmarks such as hers. She is considered to be bad luck, a curse. Not helped by the fact that her mother had died in childbirth. Her father constantly reinforces this, and won’t even touch her. Nell’s beloved brother is her sole comfort. He cares for her, and promises to take her with him when he marries.

But Nell’s father sells her to Jasper Jupiters Circus of Wonders. Jasper is a man who is hellbent on being a success, and thinks nothing of using Nell and others like her, to achieve greatness. Jasper and his brother Toby, are both survivors of the Crimean war, and clearly carry many secrets.

Themes such as exploitation, ownership, differences, power, sibling love, secrets, love and loss are central to this book.

Nell is a constant surprise. She goes from being a scared, vulnerable girl, to becoming the centre of attention, in control of all those who come to watch her. This is the other side to the P. T. Barnum story. We’ve probably all heard of ‘The Greatest Showman’, but there’s the other exploitative side that seems to have been brushed under the carpet. This book shows that side.

I loved this book, and I wouldn’t hesitate to tell you all to go out and buy it!