Femlandia

Christina Dalcher is an excellent writer, and "Femlandia" like "Vox" and "Q" doesn't disappoint. Set in times similar to ours, "what if" the American government put schools on hiatus and the banks essentially ran out of money? Times look desperate for Miranda and Emma, and they seek out the only place they know of, Femlandia. Is it the answer to their prayers or a new type of hell?

Femlandia is the much anticipated new release from Christina Dalcher, best selling author of Vox and Q. Once again Dalcher tackles a controversial subject and gives it a dystopian twist. In Femlandia the United States has suffered a catastrophic economic collapse and descended into a dystopian reality where food and other necessities are running out and a woman alone is in grave danger from the gangs of brutal and violent men who roam the land. Miranda and her teenage daughter Emma are struggling to survive in this brutal new world. With their food supplies running out they are forced to leave their home , but a brutal attack on the road forces Miranda to rethink her plans and do something that she never thought she would consider. Her estranged mother Win founded a women only commune years before, and it seems like this Femlandia might be the only safe option for Miranda and Emma, but given her many disagreements with Win and her ideology , Miranda is not sure that they will be welcomed. Once they do manage to get inside the colony, Miranda begins to wonder if things are worse than she imagined, the price for safety may be higher than she is willing to pay.
This is a dark book , with a disturbing theme and it makes for unsettling and thought provoking reading. I found it hard to put down, it gripped me even more than her previous books. I found it fascinating that the author took the idea to the extreme, so that the women only world was not the utopia that so many might imagine. There were definite cult vibes , and I thought the exploration of the impact of abuse on the victim was interesting.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I liked Vox, I joined the queue for Q, and I couldn’t wait to get reading Femlandia.
This book is a great deconstruction of society wrapped up in that wonderful dystopian what if storyline.
Imagine the world as you know if is falling apart, theres no point going to work if you even still have a job, items that are considered essentials are so expensive you likely cant afford them – if theres even any left and just to make it a little worse your hubby recently committed suicide after wiping clean what money you did have.
Luckily Femlandia still exists. There are various ways to describe Femlandia, a cult, a group of like minded women, trapped individuals, Disneyland for women or just a group of women who went in search of a better life.
For Miranda and her teenage daughter Emma there is nowhere else to turn, they learn things about themselves, each other and their pasts whilst interlacing with Mirandas mums narrative, the woman who created Femlandia. Miranda has never been convinced her mums way is the right way, she’s more about the normal lifestyle: partner, kids, house car and job. Men can be jerks but that’s okay because that’s just life and they re not all like that.
Femlandia has some dark secrets that concern Miranda from the moment the lay eyes on the compound. The walls keeping people out, or in. The way they refer to each other, but she cant deny that most people seem happy enough and they are definitely better off than those in the outside world right now.
This book is really interesting because it touches on so many different uncomfortable topics, but they just support the story. Im still trying to decide how I feel about the epilogue though – it rounds off the story perfectly and feels like the natural conclusion; its just not the one I wanted.
The characters in the book really develop as you get deeper into the plot, you get to know them and I found myself siding with Miranda a lot, but could completely get on board with all of the others who had opposing actions or POVs. It’s a great book and you should really go and preorder it now!

This is not an easy read - in fact some of the book is downright disturbing. It is the 'next step' on from dystopian novels such as 'The Handmaid's Tale', 'The Power' and Dalcher's own 'Vox'. There is almost a welcome balance in that the world may not necessarily be a better place run by women, and that actually some women can be violent and hateful to their own.
It is certainly thought provoking, the plot well executed and characters compelling - you just might need to remind yourself that on the whole people are nice afterwards!

A futuristic thriller set in a world where women rule the roost, was as compelling as it sounds! The mother and her daughter embark on a perilous journey into Femlandia which at times reminded me of Alice falling down the rabbit hole... A suspenseful and frightening read!

Wow, I loved this book! Miranda was a great character, who I started off liking, got frustrated with her, then ended up understanding and liking her again.

The story starts in the not-too-distant future where the world's economy has collapsed and people are left to fend for themselves. It begins as a dystopian novel, but becomes one woman's fight to survive in this new world, and to put to rest her demons from her past.

The daughter of Win Somers, founder of the Femlandia colony, Miranda has had to battle low self-esteem and estrangement from her mother after a shocking discovery in her teens. Alone with her own daughter, Emma, she must decide what is best - whether they can survive the next few days, or whether they should go to the colony she despises.

The story grips you from the first page, and keeps you hooked as it takes some sinister turns. Well written, with fantastic characters, and a horrifying storyline, this a book that stays with you long after you've finished reading it. Highly recommend!