I read We Need to Talk About Kevin back in school and ever since I've been intrigued by Lionel's work. Her books are unique and a bit odd, happy and sad, strong and powerful, and thought-provoking.

For some reason, I thought this would be a bit more light-hearted, a slightly more casual take on the topic - but I should have realised that Shriver's books don't do casual. It's really intense.

I liked what she was trying to achieve here, it really gives you food for thought, but it felt more like a lecture; like we were being talked at rather than to. It felt like we were being told what to think about the book rather than letting us think for ourselves.

It is thought-provoking, I will admit that, as the world changes and what things we can and can't say, what will get us cancelled, where is the line between common sense and stupidity or naivety.

I am glad it was short because whilst I found some of it interesting, I think it would have struggled to be any longer without it being too difficult to finish.

I do wish we had more characterisation. I've said before I prefer character development over plot, but this didn't really have either, for me. There is a plot, of course, but it's more the ideologies and outrage that drives the book. And I didn't feel I had a chance to get to know the characters either, they felt very 1 dimensional, and so I would have preferred if more time was given to flesh them out a bit.

What I did really like though is the idea that intelligence is not only proven with school grades and achievements. Just because you don't do well in an education setting, doesn't make you any less smart, and just because you ace school doesn't make you worldly intelligent. And that's important to realise in real life in order to encourage our younger generations, that marks and scores and grades and reports will only get you so far and they are not the be all and end all.

Whether a book is 1 star or 5 star (I generally don't do star ratings as it's such a personal choice), there's no denying the impact Shriver has on the literary world and wider society. She's always going to write books that divide and I think that is actually one of her strengths. We need books that challenge and get you thinking. Therefore I think it'd make a good book club read as there's lots of ideas to get your teeth into.

Whilst I quite enjoyed this new novel be Lionel Shriver I was constantly asking myself is this for real? I mean who could seriously believe that Mental Parity as government system could actually work. I know the author was probably writing tongue in cheek but for me it would have been more interesting if the author hadn’t been so extreme with the ideas posed.

Published 11 April 2024. Well, this is certainly a book to make you think. It is set in an alternative history, but picks up on issues that are almost part of what we have today - a sort of cancel culture, maybe. In this world, the Mental Parity movement decrees that everyone is intellectually equal. Words like 'stupid', 'dumb' and 'thick' are outlawed. Therefore, as everyone is equal - what is the point of exams, degrees, qualifications. Employers can no longer ask for qualifications as that would be seen as judging someone as intellectually superior and so America is gradually falling apart as industries are being run by the unskilled. The wealthy Americans are seeking medical care abroad because doctors no longer have qualifications while the general populace just have to cross their fingers and hop that their surgeon knows one end of a scalpel from another. A very contentious novel, but it certainly promoted a healthy discussion in our household. Our main character/narrator is Pearson, a university lecturer who sees no good in Mental Parity and in her own four walls is very vociferous against it. She sees it as detrimental to the development of her older children, who are very intelligent. At school they are no longer pushed/stimulated. Her youngest is not reading or writing because she doesn't have to - the school do not encourage her. Pearson's best friend, Emory, becomes CNN's spokesperson for Mental Parity and the two women clash. Is Pearson a reliable narrator? I'm not sure. We hear her point of view, her arguments and the opposing arguments we see her shoot down. It is an interesting read, so thought provoking and scarily, almost just around the corner.

Set in an alternative history, and yet pointedly picking up on what is certainly 'a thing' today, this is a novel that is definitely contentious - in fact it, or the premise of it screams contention. What I love about this novel is the sheer (as we say in my part of the world ) 'brass neck' (ie bravery - more than bravery) of it. Shriver is a first class writer, and, yes, she's using fiction to examine an issue that has crept into our culture: that of 'equality', or 'equality of opportunity' and how this is interpreted, and she has turned it into a sardonic look at the farce that *could* ensue. Her characters have been paralysed into not making judgments about others on the basis of their intelligence; certain words have become unacceptable (like 'stupid') and friendships are consequently affected. I found myself drawn into the philosophical nature of Shriver's (or rather, her character's) argument. If you, as you probably should do, read this novel as a muse on where society could find itself, what you have is a thought-provoking piece of work. I'm certain there will be people who dislike the premise of this novel, but hold on with that thought. Brilliant writing and, as ever. Very highly recommended. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC

This is a really interesting read.
In a novel that feels increasingly dystopian as it goes on, academic Pearson Converse and her best friend Emory Ruth are pitted against each other as ‘mental parity’ takes over society.
In this society, people are regarded as equally bright and capable. Words such as ‘dumb’ and ‘idiot’ are banned. And slowly society starts to fall apart..
It’s an intriguing novel which gains momentum as it progresses.
Once rooting for Pearson, one starts to realise she is something of an unreliable narrator.
At times this novel feels more intellectual and polemical than entertaining - that’s why I’ve held off giving it five stars - but it’s also fascinating and prescient.
I liked it more and more as it went on.
Summary: recommended. An intelligent and likeable but terrifying tale of our times.

Set in the recent past, though an alternative reality this is a strong tale about political correctness and language. I found the narrative slow and repetitive though the prose is deft. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Thought-provoking novel, set in an alternative past. Maybe not so alternative after all...Where will cancel culture and political correctness bring society? Extremely "in your face" and at times repetitive, but definitely worth a read.

I enjoyed the combination of humour and seriousness with a topic that could occur in the not so distant future, even thought its comically unlikely there is definitely elements that could come true.