Plot Overview: The Power is a speculative fiction story that starts in the world of today. But what if one day, all women woke up with a power no one else had, one that put a debilitating physical advantage over men literally in the hands of women? As the power spreads from younger women to older ones, from backyard tricks to geopolitical takeovers, from fighting back to fighting each other, The Power explores this new world from a multitude of perspectives. There’s a mixed-race orphan girl who discovers she has the finest degree of control she’s seen; a street-smart girl who uses the power to kill her mother’s murderers; a New England mayor who’s struggling to keep the tiniest bits of political power to do good in the world; a male photojournalist who becomes a household name documenting women’s revolutions; and a historian writing from centuries later with a perspective completely different from historians today.

Critique: The best part of this book was how complex and jarring it was. Every character has a unique perspective, and at times I was rooting both for and against each one of them. The power corrupts people in ways I never expected, but which made sense in the course of the novel. And just when I thought I had defined each character in my mind, the things that defined them could be ripped away and I’d have to reimagine them again. It was an experience to read.

Another compelling thing about The Power was the “historical” perspective. The book starts with a series of letters between two authors, one a man, about the “history” of the era described in The Power that imagines criticism from a matriarchal society’s perspective. Interspersed through the chapters are drawings of “archeological finds” that reflect this. For example, one of the figures is an iPad welded onto a Sumerian statue (but not described as an iPad, of course). And finally, the entire story of The Power is presented as a historical fiction novel written by one of the authors before. It definitely makes you reorient the entire narrative in your mind and is a real “trippy” mental exercise to go through.

One caution for this book is that it is definitely a thriller, and while it may be speculative fiction, it is rooted in the violence and misogyny of today. Personally I felt that the book might have been stronger with fewer gratuitous descriptions of violence (but it’s part power fantasy after all). I’d definitely consider looking up trigger warnings for this book if you plan to read it.

Cover: The cover is bright red and minimalist, and it’s something I’d love to have on my shelf. The black handprint with the lighting wreathed through it is a symbol of the power, because it’s electrical shocks (lightning) communicated through touch (hand). This symbol also becomes important within the world of the story as a symbol of one of the women’s groups.

Star Rating: 5/5 stars, though you might rate this book differently if you’re less willing to sit through the violence.

Additional Comments: Naomi Alderman is Margaret Atwood’s protege, and it shows. This book is very very reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale in a good way, and if you liked The Handmaid’s Tale I would highly recommend this book. (Also, Margaret Atwood's blurb on the cover is punny and great but also 100% true).

From Ms. Yang: This book is on so many best lists! It sounds fascinating. Thanks for posting!