The Power in Overdue Podcast

Jan 26, 2018 Sarina M rated it liked it

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Even though I gave this book three stars (as it was not all that engaging and seemed to me to be a better concept for a book than actual story) the afterward deserves 5 stars, as it really made me think about 'men' and 'women' as social constructs.

Are many of the characteristics put on women simply due to our physical abilities or lack thereof in relation to men? If women had the ability to physically dominate men, would we suddenly transform into the less 'nurturing', 'sensitive', and 'caring' ...more

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Jul 01, 2019 Gina rated it really liked it

The end didn't blow my mind or really mean a lot to me, but it was a fascinating read and I was eager to keep reading and tell people about it. What a cool premise. How it's basically set in our world but women are developing potentially fatal electric powers. It didn't go the way I expected it to, either. It's definitely dystopian, though- there's no happy ending. I don't think our current world is dystopian, though obviously it has plenty of troubling tendencies and has forever. And only gende ...more

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Mar 01, 2018 Jaime Leigh rated it really liked it

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I read the last 75% of The Power in one day. Alderman's writing style is addicting and I had the drive to see where each character's stories were going to go. I am not sure, however, that The Power is meant to be consumed this way. I feel like there was a large part of the story that I understood, but there is so much more The Power had to offer which went straight over my head. I definitely feel like I need re-read this book in the future, after thinking about it for a bit, for it to have the f I read the last 75% of The Power in one day. Alderman's writing style is addicting and I had the drive to see where each character's stories were going to go. I am not sure, however, that The Power is meant to be consumed this way. I feel like there was a large part of the story that I understood, but there is so much more The Power had to offer which went straight over my head. I definitely feel like I need re-read this book in the future, after thinking about it for a bit, for it to have the full effect. Still, I found this book incredibly interesting. I won't say that I agreed with every argument that was put forth. I also won't say that I agreed with the way every scenario played out. However, I enjoyed seeing how each argument was created in a world turned upsidedown by a power no one could expect. Not to mention that the writing was a pleasure to read, a mixture of educated, powerful and poignant diction that makes a rather complicated idea for a novel flow smoothly onto the page.

I will say that I was not prepared for the graphic nature of The Power. I understand that this is an adult read, so I was prepared for it to be more than your average YA, "protect the children" level of graphic. Yet, Alderman holds nothing back. There are trigger warnings to be given for everything in this novel: rape, sexual harassment, death, gruesome murder/dismembering, language, weapons/gun, blood/injection/injury phobia triggers. The list is very long. While I believe these elements added to the story to some degree, I will argue that at some points their usage felt excessive.

Overall, I am very glad that I finally got around to reading this book. It feels like a classic that people will read for a very long time. I believe that its awards are more than deserved. Even if I didn't agree with the some of the arguments that were raised (at least the aspects of them that I understood upon my first reading), I appreciate that Alderman proposed them and made me think about the world in a new way. It is always nice when a book can leave you contemplating certain questions that it raises, and I believe that The Power does this. It was a bonus that these questions were framed in a world with multidimensional, morally gray protagonists with interconnecting storylines and diverse backgrounds.

Rating:
4.75 out of 5 stars
95% out of 100%
-Jaime ...more

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