[Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.]

What would happen if suddenly women held all the power? We find out one possibility in The Power by Naomi Alderman. The book itself takes the form of a novel written by a man, 5000 years after The Cataclysm, which took place presumably in current times. The author is writing a novelization of what happened the day young women came into their electrical power, and the aftermath of how that changed and shaped the world.

At the time I read this, a whole bunch of men, celebrities and political commentators and movie producers and politicians, have been accused of rape and sexual harassment. Several have already lost their jobs. Hopefully the rest will follow. Women are starting to reclaim some of their power. And that has been in the back of my mind the whole time I was reading The Power. Alderman has managed to put out a culturally relevant piece of speculative science fiction that resonates strongly with what is happening in the US right now.

There is a lot to like about The Power. Roxy Monke was probably my favorite character, because even though she had the power, we find out exactly how strong she is when shit hits the fan. (Spoiler: Strong AF.) Mother Eve was also incredibly interesting. Who was the voice inside her head? Was it really God? Or was it something else? Was she just mentally ill? I was amazed that a traumatized teenager could essentially start her own worldwide cult, help create a new country, and then tear the world apart just by taking the power to name God. Tunde was also interesting, in that he was able to become a prominent and world-famous journalist after chancing on a video CNN wanted to buy. The "end" of his story line was discouraging, but hopeful. I wish we could have seen what happened to him.

Margot Cleary and her daughter Jocelyn were not nearly as interesting as the other perspectives. Frankly, I could have done without them. While they grounded the conflict in the US, I didn't feel that aspect of the story was very relevant or even advanced things very much. Yes, the US was one of the countries that ended up starting the Cataclysm, and sure we needed to see why, but their stories were far too frequent when I really wanted more of Roxy, Eve, and Tunde.

What the book comes down to is, power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. When we rejoin the author and "Naomi" at the end, we see how much society has been flipped upside-down in 5000 years.

Where the book lost me is the end. The discussion between Naomi and the "author" of the book is a direct switch of genders. She suggests that he publish it under a woman's name in order to escape the "men's literature" genre. She questions whether it is possible that there could have possibly been legions of male soldiers 5000 years prior. She calls the author's historical record "fun," suggesting that it's not legitimate. She undermines him completely while proclaiming to be his friend. This is something that has been happening to women for centuries. And while it was a hoot to read, I felt it was a little too obvious, like a lecture. The end of the actual story, just before this conversation-in-letters, leaves so much open-ended that I feel a little cheated. I wanted to know what happened to Roxy and Tunde. I'm assuming that Eve/Allie didn't make it through, since she's surrounded by nukes and there is apparently a huge nuclear war on the horizon. The voice deserts her. Who was the voice? And what happened to her former foster monster, who was running an orphanage in Eve's name? Did Tunde make it across the border? We get all this lead-up to a big clash, and then it's like the flash of white light just before the impact. Then, a calm conversation.

But overall, I found the book relevant, interesting, and worth reading. I struggled with the brutality. But knowing that it was what women have been experiencing for thousands of years, I couldn't ignore it as unnecessary to really get the point across. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4.

Published by Little, Brown and Company on October 10, 2017

The Power is a story told in the far future about a transformative time that is very near to our present. In the far future, men are docile and nurturing, while women (scientists assume) have evolved to be aggressive and violent so they can protect their babies. But the story told in The Power is an attempt to reconstruct history by a historian who wrote a fictional account of a world run by men. The historian had to write his account as fiction because no one in the future was prepared to accept patriarchy as a plausible state of affairs. The historian views the Cataclysm (an apocalyptic conflict that everyone agrees occurred) as a gender war. The novel-within-a-novel explains how the Cataclysm might have happened.

The Power imagines that women suddenly develop an “electrostatic” power that men lack — essentially, the power to transmit a controlled burst of electricity. Men resent (and fear) a power that they lack. The initial message, of course, is “welcome to the world of women” or “how does it feel when the tables are turned?” The message might put off the vocal minority of science fiction fans who think sf should have frozen its themes in the patriarchal 1950s, but since science fiction has long appealed to open-minded readers, I suspect that most readers will judge this novel on its merits.

The story follows a number of characters, including Roxy Monke (the daughter of a crime family) and Allie (who lives in foster care). Roxy is 14 when, defending her mother from an attack, she discovers her power. Unfortunately, the power doesn’t save her mother from their assailants.

Like Roxy, 16-year-old Allie has had her fill of abusive men when she finds her power, changes her name to Eve, and hitchhikes across the country. She eventually becomes known as Mother Eve, a cult figure who helps found a mother-centric religion, premised on the belief that the power is divinely inspired.

As girls discover and master their power, they learn how to awaken it in older women. Men feel threatened; two girls in Riyadh are killed for practicing their deviltry (i.e., making sparks fly between their hands). Women in Moldova create a new country as a refuge for formerly sex-trafficked women. A male journalist named Tunde Edo tries to act as a witness to all of this and to document it when he can.

The last two noteworthy characters are a woman named Margot, who conceals her power for a time to further her political career, and her daughter Jocelyn, whose power doesn’t function well (at least until she has a religious moment with Mother Eve).

The government’s initial reaction the power reflects the natural resistance of oppressors to change: isolate the girls, don’t let them reproduce, develop a vaccine to remove the power. Preachers denounce the power as the work of Satan. Do men feel threatened because they fear the women, or do they feel threatened because women no longer fear men? That’s one of the many questions that make The Power such an interesting novel.

The Power is not a simplistic story in which women are good and men are bad. Eve is a charlatan, barely a step above a fraudulent faith healer. Margot is Machiavellian in her approach to political power; she quickly understands the relationship between governmental power and industrial power. She develops her own private army of empowered women and is far from the first person to learn that conflict can be profitable.

Power corrupts, and when women rise to power, they are as easily corrupted as men, and just as vicious when they stifle dissent. As history demonstrate, the oppressed too often become oppressors when they gain the upper hand.

The characters are credible, but so is the reaction of society, which is drawn from current events. As women become used to their powers, a male supremacist movement arises, supported by angry bloggers, which spawns extremist groups of women, some of whom think that the final solution is to get rid of all but the most subservient men, who need to be spared for procreative uses. The movement members on both sides are irrational, but they reflect the blogger-driven supremacy movements that have gained such a loud voice during the last year. Extremism begets extremism, and extremists on either side of a social issue can be inhuman, a point the novel illustrates convincingly.

The Power is smart, biting, nuanced in its exploration of gender roles and perceptive in its understanding that history is written by the victor (or at least by those who are currently empowered). It’s also a good story that uses intelligent characters to raise serious questions about the role of gender in societies across the world.

RECOMMENDED

Wow, what a book! Alderman's The Power is, well, powerful. The different viewpoints and characters all bring something important and fresh to the book, and the entire premise of women rising up is timely as hell.

This is the very definition of "high concept": if you've read the blurb, you know the basics; but what's harder to imagine is the razor-sharp execution Naomi Alderman brings to bear on this most conceptual of plots. She writes with a fury and ferocity we rarely see. With that fury comes occasional bursts of misanthropy that seems to undercut the grand parable this is clearly meant to be... but it's easy to let that slide when she's making such a crucial point.

Let's get it out there: this thing can feel heavy-handed. From the leaden double entendre of a title, to the very obvious power dynamic switcheroo, you know what Alderman is doing from the first page. But what could feel like YA for all its superheroic, power-granting, wish-fulfillment, disbelief-suspending derring-do is grafted onto a much more serious book, you know, the kind with a message. And you will not forget this message, because every page exists to remind you what it is (and which, despite my glibness in describing the approach, is a painfully necessary message indeed). In this sense, when you peel these two "books" apart—the YA comic-book vibes and the Atwoodian gender role reversal meant to unmask the discomfiting disparities of modern
life—<em>The Power</em> can occasionally feel clunky. It's like when you look too closely at the seams of your mass-produced jacket; the design falls away and you see the stitching. My advice: to the extent possible, try not to focus on the technical feat Alderman is attempting, accept it for what it is, and let the jarring impact of the core idea wash over you.

There's a visceral power here, animated by the same avenging spirit that's driving the Hollywood sexual assault takedowns, the Congressional harassment revolution, and all the rest. I use "avenging" in a positive sense here; we're (hopefully) watching a grand societal reckoning unfold, and one that comes not a day too soon. Regardless, the reason the book works as well as it does is because Alderman has the tools to inflict lasting mental damage. In the story, when the oppressed suddenly have the strength to oppress back, they do--and you don't even want to know the ways. The violence is often excruciating and just dark, dark, dark. On one hand this could seem like an anti-male screed; on the other, it's a clear mirror to the type of wanton violence we've become inoculated to when it happens to women. We're used to seeing female characters raped, tortured, or killed, to the point we barely bat an eye. Entire film genres have celebrated this type of misogyny for decades; society as a whole has tolerated it for far longer. And the violence on display here is meant to make men (outwardly woke men like me, even) feel the daily horror that goes along with being on the wrong end of a power disparity. It's a simple trick, and an obvious one, but a necessary trick nonetheless.

Did I love it? Not entirely--in part because there's so much wildly disparate stuff stitched together that the center doesn't always hold, and perhaps in part because it <em>does</em> make me uncomfortable at times, which is almost certainly the point. Regardless: it's a ferocious read, one meant to leave marks, and I certainly appreciated the concept and enjoyed the prose. If you've read this far, you may as well satisfy your curiosity and read the book while you're at it. Tap into the zeitgeist; feel the firmament crumble ever so slightly beneath our feet; recognize the way the Power in our own world operates, and act accordingly.

Maybe it was overhyped, but I could not get into this story. I found it boring and weirdly constructed.

This just wasn't the book I thought it would be. You could say that I'm a feminist. I loved The Handmaid's Tale and I was hoping this story would be about women turning the world around on the men and taking over, correctly. But it came across as women are just as cruel as men are. Instead of women being in charge, they are drunk with power. I wanted to cheer for the women to take over, but I found myself hating them all. I enjoy reading books from alternative perspectives. I was also intrigued by the timeline of the book - 10 years before, 5 years before, 1 year before. It was building up to be this great fight! This great takeover!!! But in the end, I was left disappointed. No big clash came to happen. By the "epilogue," if you will, I didn't even care about the letters to and from the author and publisher. I was happy for it to be done. I wanted to love this book but I just can't.

Men ruled the world… until they didn’t.

In The Power, something has caused the female population to develop a new organ—called a skein—which gave them the ability to deliver electric shocks with their hands. The strength of the shock depended solely on the whim of the one who wielded it—varying between a slight tickle to something powerful enough to kill. In the beginning, only girls had it, but they quickly discovered they could awaken the power in the women with a touch of their hand. Before long, the power was awakened in them all… and the men were afraid. The females were potentially dangerous and must be controlled until “the crisis” ended and things went back to “normal”… but it didn’t end. They couldn’t be controlled, and things were never “normal” again.

Women ruled the world now… and they were every bit as ruthless with their power as the men once were.

How many times has someone said things would be different if women ruled the world? It’s usually meant that things would be better—the world would be a kinder, gentler place. But what if it wasn’t? Alderman thoroughly explores how things would—and wouldn’t—change if the balance of power shifted in this chilling and oft-times terrifying dystopian world.

This book does an excellent job of showing how utterly ridiculous sexism is. It flips the switch, directing discriminatory words and actions toward the men in the story, rather than women. It also illustrates how absolute power can corrupt even those who set off with the best of intentions, and how easily innocent people can be hurt as a result of it.

With scenes of violence (including sexual assault/rape), this book isn’t for the faint of heart. Many of these scenes are disturbing, so readers should be aware of and prepared for that. Even so, I am still declaring this a book worth reading, because it definitely makes you think about how pervasive sexism is this world.

5 stars--it was amazing. Warnings for violence (graphic) and sexual violence (super graphic).

This book won't be for everyone (and that's OK). It has its flaws--a slow start and lots of violence, for example. But I ended up being really impressed.

The theme of this book is that power corrupts, and overall it's pretty unsubtle about its message. But what I really loved were the quieter moments of commentary: The newscasters, for example, with their reversed gender roles, were a humorous touch. The framing device of the manuscript being reviewed by an editor, and the editor's hesitations, was perfect. (And one of my favorite moments was the editor refusing to believe that life under male rule would ever be violent because it just wouldn't make sense.)

Characterization is good--everyone is complex and fleshed out. And there's a lot going on in this book, both on the surface and under the surface. I admire what Alderman's done and will seek out her other books.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

I love this book! This is an engaging and enjoyable read that everyone should go and buy right now!

I still haven't processed all of my thoughts, but overall, I really enjoyed reading The Power and would recommend it.

In The Power, Naomi Alderman introduces us to a world in which young women suddenly realize that they have power. Although this power can also be introduced to older women, this power is not (generally) found in men. Not surprisingly, this sudden power shift has massive consequences. Women no longer fear men and can instead become the aggressors.

The story unfolds through the stories of Roxy, a young English woman from a crime family; Allie, a young woman escaping from a grim reality; Tunde, a young man who is trying to understand the impact that the power has on society; Margot, the mayor of a major city, and her daughter, Jocelyn.

Through these characters, we follow the changes that the power has on the world. In this alternate reality, we are given the opportunity to consider what would happen if women were suddenly dominant and could reshape the world. For example, if women had such a power, then what would it mean for rape or sex-trafficking? Although the execution of this thought experiment is not perfect, The Power is inventive and engaging and worth a read.

I've never read a novel quite like THE POWER before although one probably exists with a similar premise. Women and girls suddenly develop the power to literally shock others at will, leveling the playing field of strength differences between men and women. Parents tell their boys not to go out alone or stray too far. Sound familiar? Schools separate boys and girls while girls and women use the power not only to defend themselves but also for aggression towards men and other women.
We follow the effects of the power through Roxy (a gangster's daughter), Tunde (a male reporter who chronicles the events), Margot and Jocelyn (a politician and her daughter), and Allie (a foster child in an abusive household).
The fictional writer of this "historical novel" writes in the future after The Cataclysm precipitated by the misuse of power by both sexes. From the correspondence at the book's end, between Neil, the "author," and Naomi, the actual author?, we can see that, although the roles of men and women have been drastically reversed following the Cataclysm, people in the future don't understand their past.
THE POWER reminds me very much of THE HANDMAID'S TALE, where the roles of men and women have deteriorated to that master and servant or slave and the misunderstanding of the past which occurs at the end of both books. The author does thank Margaret Atwood in the acknowledgements for her encouragement. Atwood, on the book's cover, praises it as "Electrifying! Shocking! Will knock your socks off! Then you'll think twice, about everything." I agree.

Imagine a world in which young girls develop electricity from the fingers - and their power only grows. This book looks at what happens next.

Wow, this one blew me away. It really hooked me from the beginning, and I could barely put it down. It definitely subverts a lot of what is happening in the real world and looks at what the world would be like if women were in charge. It raises so many interesting questions and looks not only at gender politics but also the idea of power and the idea that power corrupts all.

One of the best books I've read this year.

Ok, I suppose it would be too hokey to call The power a powerhouse, but the thing is...it really is. In the expansive oeuvre of literary dystopia this is definitely undeniably a standout. A strikingly original take on the end of the world (actually the events leading up to it and a discussion of the events as looked back on from a distance future) and a genius meditation on gender politics. The Power is a distinctly feminist apocalypse, electric (quite literally), charged (again quite literally) and absolutely compelling. In fact I read it in one day, only putting it down for meals, etc. Told from varying perspectives, propelled by a wild premise of women discovering essentially a super power that completely topples the world order, gender roles and eventually geopolitics with the most devastating results. Basically like watching a crash in slow motion, terrifying yet mesmerizing in its own tragic way. This book already won one award (almost ironically within the context a Bailey's Women Prize for fiction), nominated for more and certainly merits the accolades and recognition. It does exactly what great stories are meant to do, entertains and makes you think at the same time and we're talking really serious challenging thoughts. Plausibility aside (and actually I loved the backstory/explanation of the powers), this one got frighteningly realistic at times. Either way, though, this is speculative fiction at its best and an estrogen driven end of the world remember. Awesome. Positively awesome. Most enthusiastically recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Ooh, this is a toughie. I have a lot of mixed feelings about Alderman's The Power. It's an intriguing and clever concept, but this never really translates into an engaging story.

Imagine if one day, suddenly, girls developed a strange physical power: they can produce electricity inside them. They can use this power to hurt, to torture, and to kill. A world that is built on patriarchy is suddenly upturned - being a woman is synonymous with power and strength, men are the ones afraid to walk alone at night, the female body itself becomes an instrument of power.

With obvious nods to rape culture, The Power imagines what the world would be like if men, not women, had to live in constant fear for their physical safety. Alderman considers how this would affect a variety of people and issues, from terrorism to religion, and she does this through the eyes of four very different people.

There's Roxy, a white British teenager and the daughter of a gangster. There's Allie, a mixed-race girl who runs away after years of abuse and finds herself at a convent, revered as some kind of goddess. There's Margot, an American mayor and one of the few older women to develop the power. And then Tunde, a young Nigerian man and aspiring journalist who captures early footage of the power in action.

The four perspectives are unequal and uneven, with certain perspectives being much more interesting for part of the book and then becoming tedious, and others doing the reverse of that. Some of the characters verge on cliches and stereotypes too. Additionally, the whole novel uses a research/book proposal as a framing device - a guy called Neil writes to Alderman with the draft of his work attached - which is interesting, but the book does actually feel like a piece of research at times.

I felt like most of the book explored a concept without telling a story. After the initial discovery of the powers and the subsequent affect on the world, the book kind of stalled, and lots of chapters felt dragged out without purpose or direction. Allie's perspective became deeply entrenched in religion, more so than was interesting, and I quickly lost interest in where the other POVs were going.

Also, some parts seemed a little too simplistic. I honestly don't believe that Saudi women would embrace rebellion so readily and to that extent. The notion that Muslim women are just waiting to throw off their clothes, riot in the street, and have casual sex seems like a blinkered "Western" perspective. Sure, maybe this would evolve over time if Saudi women had power, but I find it very hard to believe that anyone would cast off centuries of cultural practices in a matter of days.

The Power is a real mixed bag full of fascinating ideas, lack of focus, over-simplified male/female power dynamics, and some clever subversive scenes. I particularly liked the part where one woman claims that some boys "secretly like it", a play on the notion of "asking for it" in rape culture.

A hard book to rate. I wonder if it would have made a better short story.