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patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
It's 1911. Underneath the idyllic surface of small town Eliada, eugenics is being studied and the town may have reasons for its seemingly perfect inhabitants. I first read about the American eugenics program in Jodi Picoult's Second Glance and it was that subject that made me want to read Eutopia. It's a part of American history that has been swept under the carpet, for understandable reasons. However, eugenics is used as a vehicle for the plot here and I didn't learn much more than I already knew.
If eugenics isn't scary enough for you, there's something not right in the quarantine shed. Dr Waggoner is a black doctor who happens to be available when a young woman has been butchered during what looks like outhouse abortion. Now in a town practising eugenics, you can tell that a black doctor is going to be in for a tough time and an attempted lynching is just the start of it. It turns out that women are being raped and the person being kept in quarantine is suspected of being involved.
This novel is seriously creepy. Do not read it on your own, at night, with the bedroom window open. I ended up jumpy and paranoid and then had to sleep with the window closed even though it was muggy and uncomfortable. Now, when it comes to films, I'm a big girlie wuss but not so much with horror novels. I find the scariest things are often the stuff that can really happen and horror writers can kill the suspense with excessive description. But not here.
There are a lot of big ideas in Eutopia and I think maybe there are too many to do them all justice. Not only are there the real life horrors of practising eugenics on a community, biological warfare and an element of the supernatural but also questions of religion. It did seem a bit disjointed at times and the end seemed a little anti-climatic after all the good stuff that came before but the creep factor gives it an extra star.
If eugenics isn't scary enough for you, there's something not right in the quarantine shed. Dr Waggoner is a black doctor who happens to be available when a young woman has been butchered during what looks like outhouse abortion. Now in a town practising eugenics, you can tell that a black doctor is going to be in for a tough time and an attempted lynching is just the start of it. It turns out that women are being raped and the person being kept in quarantine is suspected of being involved.
This novel is seriously creepy. Do not read it on your own, at night, with the bedroom window open. I ended up jumpy and paranoid and then had to sleep with the window closed even though it was muggy and uncomfortable. Now, when it comes to films, I'm a big girlie wuss but not so much with horror novels. I find the scariest things are often the stuff that can really happen and horror writers can kill the suspense with excessive description. But not here.
There are a lot of big ideas in Eutopia and I think maybe there are too many to do them all justice. Not only are there the real life horrors of practising eugenics on a community, biological warfare and an element of the supernatural but also questions of religion. It did seem a bit disjointed at times and the end seemed a little anti-climatic after all the good stuff that came before but the creep factor gives it an extra star.
tobesmagobes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
carlylottsofbookz's review against another edition
3.0
This was a solid 4 stars, until the last 1/3 of the book, where the plot became harder to follow, and I think less developed?
So, fun while it lasted, but not a strong recommendation for others to read.
So, fun while it lasted, but not a strong recommendation for others to read.
beentsy's review against another edition
4.0
This was a whole book of face scrunching, twitching, scrunching up of eyes while looking away, and making strangled little "blargh" noises. That said, the writing is gorgeous and some of the characters are going to stay with me forever I'm sure as I was able to see them so clearly.
Sooo, if you can handle some very specific squidgey, stomach twisting scenes a la Dead Ringers with some amazing storytelling, this may be just the book for you.
Sooo, if you can handle some very specific squidgey, stomach twisting scenes a la Dead Ringers with some amazing storytelling, this may be just the book for you.
sloatsj's review against another edition
2.0
This was well written and imaginative but hey holy hillbillies it was too way out. The story revolves around a utopian society in Idaho that goes awry, as such things are wont to do. The sub-plot (co-plot?) has to do with a young man orphaned by a deadly virus that kills his whole town. An aunt who just happens to be on her way through brings him to the utopian society, called Eliada.
I had the feeling you sometimes get when someone buys you two birthday presents instead of one - that nagging feeling that the giver didn't think the first gift was quite up to snuff, so they tried to mask its inadequacy with a supplemental gift. The two threads of the plot do come together, but I didn't find it really satisfying. And, as I said, it was way out.
Anyway, cool cover, and it is good to leave one's beaten path in reading, and I won't give up on the horror genre. I did after all hit the jackpot last year with [b:Let the Right One In|943402|Let the Right One In|John Ajvide Lindqvist|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327893384s/943402.jpg|928338].
I had the feeling you sometimes get when someone buys you two birthday presents instead of one - that nagging feeling that the giver didn't think the first gift was quite up to snuff, so they tried to mask its inadequacy with a supplemental gift. The two threads of the plot do come together, but I didn't find it really satisfying. And, as I said, it was way out.
Anyway, cool cover, and it is good to leave one's beaten path in reading, and I won't give up on the horror genre. I did after all hit the jackpot last year with [b:Let the Right One In|943402|Let the Right One In|John Ajvide Lindqvist|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327893384s/943402.jpg|928338].
bookswithlukas's review against another edition
3.0
Weird, different and strange, but with a disconnect.
It has been a long, long time since I have read anything quite this weird. This novel pretty much has it all, there's evil conspiracies, bed sheet wearing ku klux klan members, giant god-like monsters whose hallucinations cause you to worship them, and oh yeah, evil faeries that wanna rip through your vagina. Wait, what?
I like weird books, and I like something to come up with an original concept, and this novel definitely does both of those in spades. The story here concerns the idea of a landowner using his land to create the perfect Eutopia, filled only with people who they deem to be the top 5 percent of population. The story of this Eutopia is told through two different POV's. One from a newcomer to the compound, and the other, the compounds only black resident, and doctor.
The issue of race is brought up pretty frequently throughout the novel, and with the ku klux klan within the compound, the n word is used pretty frequently so that may put off some readers. I wouldn't say it is in a sensationalist way though, just the author trying to represent the time the book takes place, which oh yeah, is 1911.
The monsters in this book are slightly strange, they seem to be described as weird faerie/nymph things which supernatural powers that can lead to anyone coming into contact with them to worship them as gods. It's a different story to what I've read before and even has a few creepy moments before they are fully revealed. If the idea of a scalpel being used to cut open a hymen is too much for you. Don't read this book. Seriously.
Despite liking it, the reason I'm giving this only three stars is that it was a little hard to get through sometimes. I found myself not really wanting to pick it up all that often, and there was a point in the middle where it just seemed to be prolonging the inevitable conclusion a little too much. Overall though, if you like weird books that make you pull a wtf? face, I would give this a go. I guarantee you probably haven't read anything like it before.
It has been a long, long time since I have read anything quite this weird. This novel pretty much has it all, there's evil conspiracies, bed sheet wearing ku klux klan members, giant god-like monsters whose hallucinations cause you to worship them, and oh yeah, evil faeries that wanna rip through your vagina. Wait, what?
I like weird books, and I like something to come up with an original concept, and this novel definitely does both of those in spades. The story here concerns the idea of a landowner using his land to create the perfect Eutopia, filled only with people who they deem to be the top 5 percent of population. The story of this Eutopia is told through two different POV's. One from a newcomer to the compound, and the other, the compounds only black resident, and doctor.
The issue of race is brought up pretty frequently throughout the novel, and with the ku klux klan within the compound, the n word is used pretty frequently so that may put off some readers. I wouldn't say it is in a sensationalist way though, just the author trying to represent the time the book takes place, which oh yeah, is 1911.
The monsters in this book are slightly strange, they seem to be described as weird faerie/nymph things which supernatural powers that can lead to anyone coming into contact with them to worship them as gods. It's a different story to what I've read before and even has a few creepy moments before they are fully revealed. If the idea of a scalpel being used to cut open a hymen is too much for you. Don't read this book. Seriously.
Despite liking it, the reason I'm giving this only three stars is that it was a little hard to get through sometimes. I found myself not really wanting to pick it up all that often, and there was a point in the middle where it just seemed to be prolonging the inevitable conclusion a little too much. Overall though, if you like weird books that make you pull a wtf? face, I would give this a go. I guarantee you probably haven't read anything like it before.
bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
5.0
Finally, a horror novel that is actually scary! "Eutopia" is unsettling in many ways. Eugenics is a terrifying concept, as is the particularly vile racism displayed by some (fairly incompetent) Klansmen in this novel. Then there is the thrilling horror envoked by the very unpleasant mutant monsters that scurry around the town of Eliada, which is the utopian community run by some very misguided gents, who are trying to improve humanity by breeding experiments because those always work out so well. Then there's young Jason, who comes to Eliada after his small village is wiped out by a sort of plague, and is immediately drugged, strapped to a gurney and put in quarantine, where he encounters one of the - well, you get the point. There's a lot going on here, and the end is a bit hurried, but considering that quality horror is so hard to find I'm happily giving this one a top rating.
bitchyreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
danteflorez's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
this dumb ass book