Interesting dystopian science-fiction, along the lines of a reverse Handmaid's Tale, set in the near future in the aftermath of a pandemic and war, where patriarchal society has been overturned and females are now the dominant sex.
Arthur meets Dana at university, first seeing her across a crowded room and immediately feeling drawn to her. Dana senses a change is coming and has a vision of creating a matriarchal society, honing her manifesto during her time at university.
Dana's strange magnetism compels many to follow her and Arthur also finds himself trying to emulate her values in order to get closer to her and win her affections, as a result finding himself drawn into her cult following.
The story unfolds across two broad timeframes of before and after The Change, and from two perspectives: Arthur who initially sees himself as a suitor but finds himself subjugated but intact; and Victoria, a former reality pop star who Dana helps to escape from her abusive manager, enabling the group to use Victoria's fame and social outreach to spread their message.
In many ways the world the author creates seems not dissimilar to a reversal of current societal norms, and it was interesting to see little details that are viewed as horrific when men are on the receiving end.
Driven by one single-minded and power-crazed individual, the overall impression is that a matriarchal society would be vengeful and even worse than the current status quo, unfortunately feeling exaggerated and unrealistic in that sense although it makes the story more interesting! The tone is possibly more suitable for a New Adult readership (NB CW:sexual violence), but a thought-provoking read.
Arthur meets Dana at university, first seeing her across a crowded room and immediately feeling drawn to her. Dana senses a change is coming and has a vision of creating a matriarchal society, honing her manifesto during her time at university.
Dana's strange magnetism compels many to follow her and Arthur also finds himself trying to emulate her values in order to get closer to her and win her affections, as a result finding himself drawn into her cult following.
The story unfolds across two broad timeframes of before and after The Change, and from two perspectives: Arthur who initially sees himself as a suitor but finds himself subjugated but intact; and Victoria, a former reality pop star who Dana helps to escape from her abusive manager, enabling the group to use Victoria's fame and social outreach to spread their message.
In many ways the world the author creates seems not dissimilar to a reversal of current societal norms, and it was interesting to see little details that are viewed as horrific when men are on the receiving end.
Driven by one single-minded and power-crazed individual, the overall impression is that a matriarchal society would be vengeful and even worse than the current status quo, unfortunately feeling exaggerated and unrealistic in that sense although it makes the story more interesting! The tone is possibly more suitable for a New Adult readership (NB CW:sexual violence), but a thought-provoking read.