Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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I’m not sure we’re better off in this universe either…

The Power by Naomi Alderman

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This is a story that Alderman describes as feminist science fiction – a type of speculative fiction that I like to call a “what-if” story. The Power examines how power comes in various forms – whether physical, societal, something you are born into, something you can take from someone…and the list goes on. Alderman explores what happens when women develop an organ called a skein that enables them to deliver electrical shocks. Their inherent ability to physically overcome any man changes the balance of power […]

What would happen if women could thoroughly, completely, permanently turn the tables?

The Power by Naomi Alderman

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I feel like this was meant to be a cautionary tale, with an ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’ type of message, but maybe I was in the wrong mindset for it, because my reaction was way more on the side of “FRAK YEAH, GET ‘EM!!!” All of a sudden, teenage girls all over the world develop the power to produce electricity from their fingertips. A (long-dormant? brand new?) organ called a skein, located over the collarbone, allows the girls to create and deploy electricity. Parents and […]

“One of them says, ‘Why did they do it?’ And the other answers, ‘Because they could.’ That is the only answer there ever is.”

The Power by Naomi Alderman

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I will not let this book ruin my review streak. I finished it last week and have just been sitting on a final rating and review because I wasn’t sure what I thought of it when I finished it, and I’m still not really sure now, but I don’t think waiting any more will help. Maybe typing up my thoughts will help solidify some things. I’m a little behind the times with this one. It was a big deal a couple of years ago, but […]

Absolute Power Corrupts… Well, You Know…

The Power by Naomi Alderman

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Man, this book is intense. I actually finished it a  while ago, but I had to digest it a little before I could even start to think about writing up a review. I liked it? I mean, I did like it, but there are some parts that are a little tough to get through. I’m glad I did though. This is a story asking the question, what would happen if, all of a sudden, every girl on the planet around 16 years of age could […]

When Evolution is Sudden and Dramatic

The Power by Naomi Alderman

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This novel was reviewed quite a bit on the site last year, but the mixed reviews (“interesting concept but …”) made me decide against reading it.  I was looking at potential book clubs to join and one of the ones I was considering listed this novel as the next read.  I didn’t make it to the book club but I read the novel, thinking I might go. In many ways, I enjoyed this novel much more than I thought I would (I’m sure lowered expectations […]

Heckin’ Yes – The Power

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Post-apocalyptic fiction is my my favorite genre. I am also on a kick of reading rocking female authors. Also, I love Margaret Atwood, and she mentored Alderman and has mentioned this book as one to read. Soooo, post-apocalyptic fiction with Margaret Atwood’s seal of approval should be a slam dunk for my tastes, and oh, it certainly was. In Alderman’s world, “the power” is a muscle across the collarbone of young women that allows them to send out electric shocks to animal, vegetable, or mineral. […]



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