Sophie Mackintosh’s Blue Ticket is a haunting, thought-provoking exploration of choice, motherhood, and societal control. Set in a dystopian world where a lottery determines whether women are destined for motherhood or a child-free life, the novel follows Calla, who receives a blue ticket, designating her as someone forbidden to have children. But when Calla becomes pregnant, she’s forced to make a life-altering decision that puts her on the run and challenges the rules that have defined her existence.

Mackintosh’s prose is lyrical and atmospheric, drawing readers into Calla’s fractured world with an almost dreamlike intensity. The novel’s minimalist style amplifies the emotional weight of Calla’s journey, as she grapples with questions of identity, autonomy, and the nature of choice.

While the story is deeply introspective, it doesn’t shy away from moments of tension and suspense as Calla’s rebellion leads her into uncharted—and dangerous—territory. The relationships Calla forms along the way add complexity to the narrative, offering glimpses of tenderness and solidarity amidst the harshness of her reality.

Blue Ticket is a quiet yet powerful dystopian tale that lingers long after the final page. It’s a perfect read for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale or Never Let Me Go, and for anyone who enjoys speculative fiction that tackles profound ethical and societal questions.

This book was just OK for me. I was very excited about the premise but somehow the execution did not work for me. This was disappointing as I am a great fan of dystopias. But I just did not enjoy reading this book. Dare I say, it was boring? Doesn't mean others may have a different opinion.

Blue Ticket is a dystopian novel that chills you with its unsettling portrayal of a society that controls women's reproductive rights through a lottery system. Told from the perspective of Calla, a young woman designated with a blue ticket (deemed unfit for motherhood), the story explores themes of free will, societal expectations, and the primal power of motherhood. It is reminiscent of the famous novel by Atwood, but Blue Ticket has a much more detached vibe.
We never learn the specific location or period, adding to the unsettling atmosphere. This ambiguity allows the focus to remain on the stark reality of the lottery system and its impact on women like Calla. The narrative focuses on Calla's internal struggles. The fragmented writing style reflects Calla's fractured world, and the short, sharp sentences build tension as she grapples with her situation. The writing style also keeps the reader at a distance, which leads to an unsettling feeling bordering on uninterestedness as the narrative focuses on Calla's untethered emotions. The novel is not for everyone, and the style may be too murky for those readers who prefer definitive conclusions. The ending is ambiguous, perhaps too so, as the ending is quiet and vague. However, for those willing to delve into its dark world, Blue Ticket explores female agency, societal control, and the lengths women go to for survival and motherhood.

"Blue Ticket" by Sophie Mackintosh presents a dystopian narrative that explores themes of freedom, choice, and societal control through the lens of a society where women's fates are determined by the draw of a ticket. While the premise is intriguing and promises a thought-provoking exploration of gender roles and autonomy, the execution falls short in delivering a cohesive and compelling story. The novel's pacing is uneven, and the plot often meanders, leaving readers craving more depth and clarity in both the world-building and character development. Mackintosh's prose is lyrical and has moments of beauty, but these are overshadowed by the overall lack of engagement and emotional connection with the protagonist. Ultimately, "Blue Ticket" struggles to fulfill its potential, leaving readers with an experience that feels unresolved and unsatisfying.

2 stars

Definitely gives off a more muted Handmaid’s Tale vibe. There is more leniency in Calla’s journey once she veers off of her normal “blue-ticket” life, but I do feel like Calla’s dark emotions and internal battle is what made this book bearable to read.
The ending was slightly different than I expected but I do feel like the cliffhanger was just very deadpan and matter-of-fact.

1 star. I was going to rate this 2 stars, but the more I think about it the more I hated. I hated the reading experience and everything about the book. Nothing worked for me. Review to come.

Due to being a high school teacher, I often do not have time to review and fall behind on reviewing. Here are my initial thoughts.

Like others have said, the premise of this one was really interesting, but the delivery was off. It seemed like it was consistently *so close* to getting to where it needed to go and then it just...didn't.

Sophie Mackintosh has cleverly written a dystopian tale centered around the question of what it means to have free will and the freedom to choose motherhood for yourself. She begins the story with Calla, who is given a ticket when she comes of age that will determine whether or not she will become a mother. She gets a blue ticket, which means a childless future. After a few years pass, Calla starts to wonder if maybe she would like to be a mother and why a ticket/government has the power to make that choice for her. She plans a way to get pregnant and ends up on the run, being chased by the authorities.
Mackintosh has created a dystopian society that centers around Calla and the people she meets on her journey . There isn’t a lot of world building and you don’t really know why society has become this way (nor are there a lot of details). It reminded me of Atwood’s Handmaids Tale in the most simplistic of ways but Blue Ticket really holds its own when it comes to Calla and her escape from the choices made for her.
I thought Calla’s character was well developed as she worked through the small number of choices allotted to her at any given time and pushed back against a world trying to take away her free will. I’d recommend this story if you’re looking for something a little bit different and enjoy dystopian fiction.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2021 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately I could not get into it. I do not think this was the one for me. The premise was super interesting, but towards the end to me it just fell apart.

Thank you to Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read and review this title.
I was so excited to get my hands on this book. But after multiple attempts to read it I continue to struggle. Just didn't live up to my expectations.
Just not the right fit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC digital copy. I have not been compensated for my opinion and this is an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading this ARC digital copy before it was archived. The book is no longer on my Goodreads "want to read" list, but I will update my review to reflect an updated opinion if I decide to finish at a later date.

Huge let down. This was an anticipated read that just fell flat. I am not sure where it was trying to go but it didn’t get there unfortunately.

I have such mixed feelings about this book. The dystopia was super interesting, but I wished the author leaned into that aspect more. I also felt like the worldbuilding to set up the dystopia was lacking in the beginning, and I was confused about what exactly was happening for a while.

What if your life choice is made for you?

Calla is given a blue ticket via lottery, which means career and freedom and yet, she wishes for a different life.

The idea of this novel is so intriguing and yet the premise v the delivery fell flat. I love dystopian novels and had such high hopes yet the writing here felt choppy and the characterizations left much to be desired. If only this idea had been presented better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the arc.

This started out difficult for me and I almost gave up. About of 1/3 of the way in I had adapted to the writing style and became more interested in the characters. What if your reproductive life was determined by a lottery / randomly at the time of your first period. While an interesting dystopian premise, this fell flat for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and DoubleDay Books for the advance copy. I enjoy reading dystopian novels such as Handmaid's Tale and The Hunger Games. The basic premise of this book sounded very interesting, do you get to have a child or not, based on a lottery? The main character, Calla, rebels against her blue ticket, where she is deemed to not have a child. I like the premise of the book yet I found myself not getting attached to the characters, which I felt were not very complex, which, sadly also described the style of writing. I found myself wanting to get through this book as opposed to savoring a book you don't want to end.

DNF. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy! I decided to not keep reading this one, it was not for me. Thanks!

The writing, good. The story, interesting. But kind I of like The Water Cure, I want more details!! More world building, as it were. I don’t mind being dropped into a new world but somewhere I want to find out how it all went down.

What if your life was determined by a ticket? Blue or white. If you get a white ticket you become a wife and mother, if you get blue you get a job and singleness. Either way, the choice is made for you. “Blue Ticket” by Sophie Mackintosh follows Calla as she struggles against her own ticket. Does the lottery know better than she does?

I love the idea of this book! It has a very utopian/dystopian vibe. The idea of having your choices taken away to give you more freedom brings up so many questions. Does a lottery make better choices for you? Or is freedom the best option? Is freedom too overwhelming and more likely to cause mistakes?

This story felt choppy. The thoughts were broken apart as single sentence paragraphs was hard. It left me feeling distracting and kept me from connecting to the storyline well. I think this story would have benefited from more backstory. Why is the country run this way? What are the perks?

I also didn’t like Calla in general. Nothing made me emotionally attached to her. There was no redemption story, no drive to her character, nothing that made me want to cheer for her.

I gave this book 2 stars. It was a brilliant plot, but it fell flat for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.