Anatomy of A Rose: The Secret Life of Flowers
Book
An acclaimed nature writer reveals the secret life of flowers. In Anatomy of a Rose, Sharman Apt...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Aug 24, 2020
Confined Desires (Rehoboth Pact #1)
Book
Sky’s crush on her best friend has always been unrequited… until they’re stuck in quarantine...
Contemporary FF Romance
Such a Quiet Place
Book
Hollow’s Edge used to be a quiet place. A private and idyllic neighborhood where neighbors dropped...
Google Pixelbook Laptop
Tech Watch
One, two, three, four ways to use it. Use it as a laptop, or watch your favourite shows. Fold it...
Levkaseon (Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria #0.5)
Book
The enemy is closer than she realizes… When a sudden outbreak of human rabies syndrome...
Futuristic Romance Fantasy Post Apocalyptic Suspense
Seeing Death (The Augur #1)
Book
Some futures were never meant to be seen. At eighteen, Bryn Ashton is preparing for a new chapter...
Contemporary MM Romance Paranormal Urban Fantasy Mystery
Luck of the Draw
Book
Drawing the short straw is bad luck…isn’t it? A treaty between three warring realms calls for...
MM Fantasy Romance Arranged Marriage Novella
Paige (277 KP) rated The Last of Us in Video Games
Jun 27, 2022
Admittedly, I have played The Last Of Us to completion multiple times. It is a developmental game that you must play through multiple times to truly appreciate, and truly understand the circumstances that have caused individual characters to present themselves as they do.
Fortunately, we were given a DLC called 'Left Behind' that follows the story of Ellie. It was just as exceptionally produced as the original, and Naughty Dog made evident that they are willing to invest themselves within this franchise.
Multiplayer is also available, but I am unsure regarding current server provisions. If Online Multiplayer is no longer supported, I am able to confidently assure you that it was the most immersive Online Multiplayer Game that I have encountered.
Gather supplies, immerse yourselves and survive. 'Remember, when you're lost in the darkness, look for the light' The Fireflies.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Who Runs the World? in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
What would the world be like if there were no men, only women? Would it be an idyllic, peaceful planet, where compassion and courtesy are more important than money and owning commodities? A world without war, without crime, without weapons? Global agreements with everyone working together and not for personal gain? Endangered animals suddenly thriving in a landscape no longer inhabited by poachers? Perfect, perhaps? <i>Welcome to the Matriarchy.</i>
<i>Who Runs the World?</i> by Virigina Bergin explores the concept of growing up in a world with no men. Sixty years previously, a virus wiped out anyone with a Y chromosome (i.e. men), leaving women to pull together to survive in a dystopian world. River, aged fourteen, has never met a boy, and never expects to – they are as rare as unicorns. Conditioned to believe that men used to be monsters whose only aims were to rape, harm and kill, River believes the world is a faultless society. But, then she meets Mason.
Mason is a similar age to River, but has a distinct difference – he’s a boy. After escaping from a sanctuary – something River never knew existed – Mason has been on the run, seriously ill, but, amazingly, not dying. Despite the initial antagonism between the two characters – after all, they have both been conditioned to believe the opposite sexes are dangerous predators - River and Mason quickly discover that the older women in power have been hiding secrets from the rest of the world.
For six decades, men have lived in sterile sanctuaries, isolated from the deadly virus and the rest of the world. Their purpose is to produce sperm to be used in IVF in order to keep the human population going – obvious when you think about it. Yet, there is clearly an ulterior motive amongst the women in charge, for why else would they keep the male existence secret and teach young girls that men were monsters?
As River and Mason try to come to terms with the hidden truth, events begin to unravel the harmony of the Matriarchy. Perhaps an all female world would not be so perfect after all.
Initially, the tranquil civilisation Bergin creates feels false, a mockery of today’s politics. It is almost like feminism gone too far, claiming that men are the reason for the suffering in today’s world. True, women are still oppressed by their male counterparts, but the generalization that this is a result of ALL men, is a stretch too far. Once the truth about the situation begins to break through, it becomes more acceptable, more realistic even, given the corrupt society we are used to.
But Bergin has a point, how would the world survive if there were no men? For all we know, a deadly virus could rid the world of XYs, leaving women to piece everything back together. What the author is trying to point out is that women CAN be as powerful as men. Women deserve to be part of politics, of decision making, to have equal rights. Despite the initial suggested perfection, Bergin is showing that women are as capable as men, not better or worse.
Targeted at young adults, <i>Who Runs the World?</i> is written in a way that current readers can relate to, but not in ways one may expect. References made by or about the older generation are much more significant than the life and experiences of River, for it is these women that were alive at the beginning of the 21st century. These women were us.
An innovative novel from an up-and-coming British author, <i>Who Runs the World? </i>will make you think about the future as well as open your eyes to the discrimination of the present. It is a very interesting concept with the potential to be followed up with further novels, or left to the reader’s imagination.

