4.5 Stars
This story reads like a first-generation Handmaid’s Tale, yet closer to our world and timeline. Dystopian in the best ways, this story feels very close to things that could happen at any moment in America as our culture and political wars/ideology rage.
I really enjoyed the third act where the main character has to make choices about her future and what kind of person and life she wants. Talks about the price of freedom, systems of power, and how knowledge – who controls it, who receives it, and how information can be spun to support any ideology, good or bad.

Many thanks to Net Galley and RB Media for an audio copy of The Chaperone for an honest review.

This is dystopia at its finest! I loved this book!

Stella lives in New America. This is a society where women are severely oppressed. Stella is being forced to marry someone she dispises. She wants an out. So good!

Near-future dystopia that taps into a lot of what's happening in the United States today with politico-religious extremism, body autonomy, gender, sexuality, consent, rape culture, and climate change. Not to mention how those things intersect with things like race and class. (though I have mixed feelings on how well this handles the racial component when it tries to) This reads like it's by an author who is intimately familiar with evangelical purity culture and the harm it does. The Chaperone is a page-turner with very short chapters that kept me riveted.

Objectively, I think it does make some weird choices in terms of plot structure. This reads like the first two books of a trilogy put into one and I don't love that decision. Especially because what feels like a climax and resolution is then somewhat reversed in the remainder of the book for spoilery reasons. And I have some questions about character choices and motivations that weren't adequately addressed in the latter portion because it's trying to do too much. This should have been two shorter novels. That said, it's such a propulsive read I was sort of carried along for the ride and still had a pretty good time.

In New America, girls are never left alone and have chaperones until they marry. They must remain pure, give obedience, and should be seen rather than heard. When Stella's long-time chaperone dies suddenly, Sister Laura becomes her new chaperone and things begin to change. She starts questioning why things are structured the way they are...

There is a lot that I liked about this and it's a very strong debut. Having grown up in purity culture myself, this did a fantastic job of pulling into the light and examining some of the more insidious elements of it. I look forward to seeing more from this author in the future. The audio narration is also great. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

If you enjoy books about societies build around opression and strict gender roles, you should pick this novel up. While the actual plot is not revolutionary (a girl understands that her life is not normal and decides to fight it), but the writing is very enjoyable. The chapters are short and it takes no time to get into the storyline. I liked how the author showed ways how to play the system without actually breaking the rules, and the open ending of the book. But on the other hand, I would have loved to see more worldbuilding, especially the history of New America.

Try this book if you're looking for a rebel story, unjust religion and nice writing!

Thank you NetGallery for providing me a early copy of this book!

This is going to be short and to the point because there isn’t a whole lot to say about The Chaperone. What was a terrific premise (even if not unique) quickly settled for being the cliff/spark notes version of The Handmaid’s Tale. Yes. I know M Hendrix is writing a young adult book, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be complex and have substance. Truthfully, I would say that reading or watching The Handmaid’s Tale is a prerequisite for reading The Chaperone. If you don’t, you won’t have the background knowledge to receive the background necessary for the Chaperone.

The Chaperone doesn’t provide much if any, historical connections or background as to the whys of the book. What is the history of New America’s break from Old America? How did it happen? What is the philosophy (other than the ever-repeated suppression of minority groups and control of women) of New America’s government? M Hendrix writes about characters going to church every week but never explains what the religious foundation is for New America.

ReviewThank you to RecordedBooks Media and Netgalley for
There isn’t any soul to The Chaperone, no depth or backing. The only explanation about New America is the role of The Chaperone and the surface existence of women. And even that is barely explored. There are hints of more made, but more never came. Moreover, the writing is very simple and repetitive. Lastly, the big trip across New America to freedom is lackluster and leads to an ending that, while I can buy, just wasn’t enough to save The Chaperone.

The Chaperone By M Hendrix- Final Thoughts And Audiobook
The one clever part of The Chaperone (although, again, not unique) is how Stella is trained without knowing she is being trained for her escape. Think Karate Kid wax on/wax off type deal.

Lastly, the audiobook was well-produced, and the narrator did a fine job. None of the faults with The Chaperone lay with the audiobook.

Maybe I loved the Girls with Sharp Sticks series much. Maybe nothing will ever live up to it. But that doesn’t account for all the fault that lies directly with The Chaperone’s story- which there just wasn’t much of.

Oh. One other thing. And this really lies with me, not the book, but because the main character’s name was Stella. The whole book, I kept thinking… HEY STELLA!