I went into this book blindly and was initially fascinated by the dystopian and matriarchal themes. Unfortunately, I did not feel there was a solid storyline and the world-building was lacking. I am a reader who can picture the story happening in my head, but this one left a lot for my own imagination to come up with. If the intent of all the bodily fluid talk was to make me feel queasy, mission accomplished. I felt like the entire book was about bodily fluids, genitals, or*asms and snakes. I like artsy and “weird” stories, but this one did not hit the mark for me. I appreciated the writing style (I believe it was translated), but felt there was only extensive imagery during graphic scenes to do with (again) bodily fluids, but the world-building was lacking.

I was drawn in by the premise, dark dystopia, gender imbalance, and societal control, but despite several attempts, I couldn’t quite get into it. The tone felt distant, and I struggled to connect enough to continue.

It may be a better fit for readers who favor conceptual storytelling over emotional depth, but based on my early impressions, I realized it wasn’t for me. I appreciate the chance to preview it and still find the core concept intriguing.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was an interesting concept, but I wish it had a lot more exposition than it did. I was left with so many questions about this world, and instead I got a lot more descriptions of snakes than I would have expected.

I did like the characters, and I liked that the four sections filled in the backstory of each character. While I typically enjoy "it was all connected!" stories, this one seemed a bit too contrived in how everyone related to each other.

I also, if I'm honest, really am not sure what this book was trying to say about gender and sexuality. I guess I just needed a bit more.

A darkly funny, sometimes uncomfortable exploration of modern relationships and self-delusion. It has a biting edge that feels both honest and a little unsettling.

Eleven Percent was a delightful surprise—equal parts heart, heat, and hilarity. The concept hooked me right away, and I loved how the story blended smart humor with emotional depth. The characters were messy in the best way, and I appreciated the exploration of identity, desire, and connection without it ever feeling too heavy-handed. There were a few moments that felt slightly rushed or over-the-top, but honestly? I was having too much fun to care. If you're into sharp banter, self-discovery, and a touch of chaos, this one is absolutely worth picking up.

I have very conflicting thoughts about this! It took FOREVER for me to get into, hence the late review, but once I was in I was in. The ending, however, fell really flat for me. I see this is supposed to be a series, and I don't think that was necessary.

It's graphic and confronting and WEIRD, but in a very interesting and logical way.

I really appreciated the writing style of this book, especially with the world building feeling easy to digest.

I did struggle to wrap my brain around this book being set in the future. At times, it felt more like it was set way in the past. The pacing was also a challenge for me, as it felt like not much was actually happening.

Overall, this one didn’t do much for me but I absolutely recognize the author’s talent and I would be interested in reading more from her.

I really wanted to love this book, especially with the dystopian premise, but it didn't resonate with me.
I enjoyed the book narrator Cassandra Campbell.



Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to listen and review this book.

Fast-paced and full of clever surprises, this thriller hits every mark with precision. The characters are vivid, the suspense unrelenting, and the twists genuinely jaw-dropping. A wildly entertaining ride that’s impossible to put down.

Thank you for the opportunity to access an advance copy of *Eleven Percent* by Maren Uthang through NetGalley. I truly appreciate the chance to explore new titles and support authors in this way. After engaging with the novel, I ultimately rated it one star and decided to DNF, as the narrative style didn’t resonate with me personally. While I found the writing style challenging to connect with, I recognize that it may appeal to other readers who enjoy a unique or experimental approach. Literature is wonderfully subjective, and I’m confident that *Eleven Percent* will find its audience among those whose tastes align with its distinctive voice.

Out of respect for the author’s work and the novel’s upcoming release, I’ve chosen not to post a review on social media or public platforms. I believe this ensures my personal experience doesn’t inadvertently influence potential readers who might appreciate the book’s qualities. Thank you again for providing access to this ARC, and I wish the author success with *Eleven Percent*’s sales.

I honestly have no idea what to say about this book. The premise intrigued me because it sounded similar to The Power - which I thought was a great idea that was not well executed. This was less dystopian / fantasy and more like a character driven literary fiction. I thought the structure was interesting and I liked how the characters' lives were intertwined, but you also got to know them before the present time.

With that being said, if I didn't get an advanced copy I probably would have DNF'd. The author supposedly is known for satire, so I tried to read it in that lense but even then, I wasn't exactly sure what was being "satirized." I've seen other reviews saying that it was transphobic - I don't think that's true. I think in a story that focuses heavily on gender roles and "eliminating" men, trans people will inevitiably be a part of that story. I would agree that the topic was not handled delicately, but I sort of think that is the point.

I would've liked to know more about Medea and her witchy background, but I think Eva was my favorite character. Wicca was definitely my least favorite.

In conclusion, I would likely give this author another try, but this story was a miss for me.

I dnf at 35%. I couldn't connect with the characters or the world. The premise sounds interesting but maybe the story just got lost in translation.

This is speculative fiction that dares you to be uncomfortable.

This is one of those rare works of speculative fiction that leaves you emotionally unmoored and intellectually stirred. Since finishing it, I’ve been turning it over in my mind like a puzzle box I’m not entirely sure I want to open again—but one that I can’t help picking up again and again. That tension, for me, is the hallmark of truly bold dystopian literature that stands with pride in that often underappreciated tradition.

Set in a matriarchal future where only eleven percent of men are permitted to live, Uthaug builds a world that is both grotesque and eerily familiar. This isn’t simply a dystopia—it’s an allegorical provocation. The architecture curves in on itself, rituals are laced with venom (literally), and the language of liberation conceals something far more sinister. The society is seductive and sterile in equal measure, offering an illusion of progress while mirroring the same rigid power structures it claims to dismantle.

What truly unsettled me, though, was the use of names—Silence, Wicca, Medea, Eva. These aren’t just character labels; they’re signposts. They carry the unmistakable weight of allegory, evoking echoes of Puritan naming practices and moralistic literature like Pilgrim’s Progress. Just as “Faithful” or “Despair” in Bunyan’s world served as virtues, warnings, or fates, so too do Uthaug’s characters seem shaped by—and trapped within—their names. “Medea” calls forth mythic vengeance. “Silence” speaks volumes about conditioned suppression. They feel less like people and more like parables in motion.

As the stories of these women unfold—each layered with secrets, resistance, and quiet disobedience—it becomes clear that this society doesn’t just control bodies, but narratives. The allegory deepens the unease: what looks like empowerment is often obedience cloaked in ritual.

Reading Eleven Percent felt like walking through a dream that keeps teetering on the edge of nightmare. It unsettled me, not because its world is implausible, but because it’s disturbingly plausable. And yet, amid the irony and artifice, there's something deeply human: the longing for choice, for connection, for truth.

This isn’t an easy read. But for those drawn to dystopian literature that challenges more than it comforts, Eleven Percent is a mirror worth facing

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for sharing this book with mw.

I wanted to love this book but it didn’t work for me. I thought the idea was excellent. A society run by women where men are exploited sexually … this is perfect for discussions of ethics, etc.
Ultimately, I just found myself bored. I couldn’t manage to connect with the characters and any plot was essentially absent even at the 50% point in the book.
I think many readers will find that there isn’t enough happening to keep them reading. Those that do continue will hopefully find that the reward is worth how long it took them to get there.

While this book is not for me, the language (translation) and interweaving of the storylines is beautifully written. However, this book is more suited to readers who are obsessed with the power of motherhood and menstruation. It is aptly described as the opposite of the handmaid’s tale as only 11% of the men are allowed to be born. Men “have been tamed, medicated, and chipped” creating a utopia for women. The author clearly wants to demonstrate that utopia cannot exist without valuing all living things; while simultaneously acknowledging all people, (regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation), as equal and vital to society.

I only finished this book because it was a NetGalley arc. Although I am not entirely sure how it ended…
I was hoping the entire time that one of the 4 main characters would redeem the story or at least create some kind of ripple effect in their world. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Only one even considered it! Most of the characters are devoid of any true emotion or empathy even for people the reader assumes they love.

Trigger Warnings:
1. It is heavily rooted in religious trauma.
2. (Including 10-15 year olds) - The world and characters are obsessed with sexual pleasure as divine or holy, though I would not necessarily consider it smut.
3. Graphic descriptions of death and abuse
4. Animal death

I DNFed this at 21%. I didn't realize when requesting that it was a translated work, and that might have impacted my choice of when to read it---I have found that the translated works I've read are sometimes slower paced, and I was not in the mood for that when I picked this up. The writing itself was fine, but the part I read was mainly focused on breeding snakes.

Very interesting premise and first few characters but paced too slowly for my liking! Had to DNF-for-now as I prefer faster paced books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! This book was released in the US by Saint Martin’s Press on April 22nd, 2025.

Eleven Percent opens with a promise: Lilith, Adam’s first wife, reclaiming power. I was intrigued. A world where the patriarchy has fallen? Where the divine is feminine, menstruation is sacred, and women are in charge? Sign me up. But the novel’s execution didn’t quite deliver on its compelling premise.

Set in a speculative matriarchy, Uthaug’s story is fragmented across multiple perspectives—Medea, a snake-breeding outcast; Wicca, a reluctant priestess with irregular periods; Silence, a mute sister haunted by the past; and Eva, a trans woman hiding her history. Men are now the subjugated class, kept in state-run centers for sex and reproduction, and religion has been restructured around “the Mother.” While the setup is rich with potential, the storytelling left me disoriented more often than intrigued.

Uthaug’s writing is provocative and heavily symbolic—there’s a lot of blood, snakes, sex, and ritual—but the narrative felt more like a collage than a cohesive whole. Just when I began to invest in one thread, the perspective would shift again. And while the novel critiques the dangers of flipping oppression rather than dismantling systems, it leans too heavily on shock value without anchoring it in a believable or emotionally resonant world.

By the end, I wasn’t sure what had happened—or how I was meant to feel. The ambition is admirable, and I appreciate its refusal to hand us easy answers. But it’s hard to follow a story when the world-building is this thin. This is one of those books where the concept is sharper than the execution. If you’re drawn to religious reimaginings and dystopian gender satire, it might spark something for you. For me, it was more confusing than compelling.

📖 Read this if you love: dystopian explorations of gender, provocative theological reimaginings, and speculative fiction that asks more questions than it answers.

🔑 Key Themes: Matriarchal Power Structures, Cycles of Oppression, Gender Essentialism and Ritual, Feminine Erasure and Control, Myth and Reclamation.

Content / Trigger Warnings: Vomit (moderate), Sexual Content (minor), Death (minor), Rape (minor), Sexual Assault (minor), Death of a Parent (minor), Animal Death (moderate).

I really enjoyed this provocative and enthralling novel. Thank you so, so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title!

Blurb:
It is the New Time, a time not so different from our own except that the men are gone. All but eleven percent of them, that is, the minimum required to avoid inbreeding. But they are safely under lock and key in “spa” centers for women’s pleasure (trained by amazons to fulfill all desires) and procreation. A few women protest that the males should be treated better – more space, better food, but all agree that testosterone cannot be allowed to roam free. The old patriarchal cities are crumbling, becoming overgrown; people now live in “round communities.” But if you prefer the slum, that’s okay too. Religion has survived, sort of: women priestesses speak in tongues, inspired by snake venom, as apples are passed around to the congregation. But all social engineering has its costs...

Four different lives intersect: Medea, a tiny, long-haired witch and snake whisperer; Wicca, a young priestess who excelled at the “self-pleasuring” curriculum in school and has lost her pregnant lover; Eva, a doctor working in a spa center, and Silence, who lives in an almost abandoned convent. Each will discover the cracks in this women's paradise.