The Meadows

This was good but depressing. Life never is as great as it seems when one party forces its views on everyone else claiming it gives stability at the cost of freedom of choice, like the Quorum does in this book. Dystopias are always about this and that is what this is. It is good but I did have to take a break. I actually read a horror book. Funny thing is, despite the monsters and death, that book was less scary than the pervasiveness of The Meadows. You really can destroy people with soft words. I am glad there is hope by the end. People should always have the freedom to choose how and who they want to live with. It was a well written book and it kept my interest with the flipping back and forth from the Meadows to the city after graduation. Eleanor faced many tough choices in figuring out herself and happiness. It was easy to feel for her and the other girls she was with. I also liked how the cover fit into the book and when it got to that point I actually stopped to look at the cover again. And the tech in this book was pretty cool.

The Meadows is set in a future in a country which has been ravaged by climate disaster. The Quorum, a totalitarian government has taken control and has created a society based on homophobia, misogyny, white supremacy and lies. The story follows Eleanor who lives in a small rural, coastal community. She is delighted when she receives an acceptance letter from The Meadows, a facility for the "best and brightest" children. The Meadows, and the other facilities, however, conceal a sick and sinister agenda. The story is set in dual timelines alternating between Eleanor's time at The Meadows and her life in the city four years later when she works as an Adjudicator, monitoring facility graduates to make sure they haven't strayed from their training. The Meadows is powerful and important Sapphic dystopian fiction. Eleanor's world is an extreme example of a society that many people in today's world are promoting. The assaults on the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people, the promotion of white supremacy, the erosion of voting rights, book bans, gaslighting, conversion therapy and climate change denial are all dangerous signs that tell us that the world in The Meadows is not that far-fetched. The Meadows is well written, immersive and heartbreaking. I liked Eleanor and her journey to self-acceptance, and the other characters especially June, Sheila and Jo.