Book Review – The Power

The Power by Naomi Alderman (Viking) ISBN: 9780241015728

I always thought that when women ruled the world peace and sanity would prevail, but in this piece of speculative fiction, Naomi Alderman disagrees.

On what will become known as The Day of the Girls, an awakening occurs giving teenage girls the power to emit an electrical current that kills. The girls also have the power to awaken this talent in all women, which results in a shift of power that topples the patriarchy and replaces it with a mostly cruel and violent matriarchy.

The concept is awesome and I loved the different viewpoints. The characters were distinct and I couldn’t put it down. The use of the television presenters and the one male point of view was effective. I won’t say I enjoyed reading it. I was uncomfortable and it was disturbing, but it made me ask many questions.

There are scenes of rape and violence that I found hard to read, but these clearly illustrated the author’s point. I expected more from the ending, but the concept is still strong enough to ensure a good read.

The Power was a haunting, thought-provoking novel that I am unable to forget even weeks after reading it.

Mia Botha
4.5/5

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