The Meadows

Publication Date: September 2023 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: Dystopian reminiscent of The Handmaids Tale that dives deep into an alternative society, for a story full of emotion. If you are a dystopian fan, this one is definitely recommended.

4/5 Stars

Book Summary: A new society has emerged after natural disasters plague the planet, focusing on conformity. Anything that is deemed to upset the ‘natural order’ is forbidden. When Eleanor receives a letter to go to The Meadows, she thinks that she has finally found her place. As she begins her time at the school however, she realizes that the motivations of the Matrons may not be what she originally thought. When she meets Rose, Eleanor begins to further question her place in The Meadows and within society.

My Analysis: Overall I enjoyed the journey of reading this book. I thought that is was a unique take on a dystopian society and that it was mostly well done. I do wish the author would have described a bit more background either at the beginning to set the stage more or have revealed it throughout. I wanted to know more of the how and why behind all of the details that led to this society and the way it is. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, and I thought it was nicely done how you are able to see how different people coped and reacted to similar circumstances. Definitely led to some emotional moments! There is a ‘then’ and ‘now’ format to the book which at first I didn’t care for, but I enjoyed more as I read on. The connection between the two helped to add to the overall story and character development. It could be just the ARC, but I didn’t love that it wasn’t indicated in the chapter heading whether we were in the past or present. Didn’t take long to figure it out, but just a little per peeve of mine for that kind of writing. Overall, a solid dystopian!