The Power by Naomi Alderman

The Power

by Naomi Alderman

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2017 BAILEYS WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION

What if the power to hurt were in women's hands?

Suddenly - tomorrow or the day after - teenage girls find that with a flick of their fingers, they can inflict agonizing pain and even death. With this single twist, the four lives at the heart of Naomi Alderman's extraordinary, visceral novel are utterly transformed.

Reviewed by luddite on

3 of 5 stars

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**Minor Spoilers**

What I liked about it: Exploring the relation between religion, myth-making, and power. And the smooth writing.

Other than that, there was so much lacking in this book. It's violent, deliberately so. But it doesn't do enough with its premise to explore the dynamics of the world it creates beyond the initial upheaval. The finale was quite disappointing for me; there's too much left to the imagination about what happens, when that's the critical element of the book.

Still, a fun read.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 27 September, 2017: Finished reading
  • 27 September, 2017: Reviewed