A review by zombiewilhelm
The Future by Naomi Alderman

adventurous mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

 This book had all the ingredients for a captivating read. There were fun characters and thought-provoking themes. The exploration of wealth, power dynamics, climate change, technological ethics, and survival are topics I find interesting and they provide a lot of food for thought. I thought the "Twist" was clever and I liked seeing how it all unfolded. However, despite these strengths, the novel failed to maintain my interest consistently.

One aspect that hindered my enjoyment was the pacing. While the storyline had its moments of excitement, there were times when it felt disjointed, lacking a smooth flow from one event to the next. The forum posts sprinkled throughout the narrative ended up being more distracting than anything and I found they really took me out of the story.

This book has many good qualities and the narrative devices deployed may work for other readers, just not me.