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After Dark
Curfew law keeps men at home after 7pm. It keeps women safe after dark. It changed things for the better... until now.
SARAH
Sarah rebuilt her life after her husband was sent to prison. Now he's about to be released, and Sarah isn't expecting a happy reunion given she's the reason he was sent there...
CASS
Seventeen-year-old Cass disagrees with Curfew. She believes men and women should be equal. And she's determined to prove she's right - whatever the cost.
HELEN
Helen wants a baby more than anything, so things are moving quickly with her boyfriend. She loves him. But should she trust him?
All of these women are in danger. And one will end up dead.
Evidence will suggest that she was killed late at night and that she knew her attacker.
It couldn't have been a man because a Curfew tag is a solid alibi... Isn't it?
SARAH
Sarah rebuilt her life after her husband was sent to prison. Now he's about to be released, and Sarah isn't expecting a happy reunion given she's the reason he was sent there...
CASS
Seventeen-year-old Cass disagrees with Curfew. She believes men and women should be equal. And she's determined to prove she's right - whatever the cost.
HELEN
Helen wants a baby more than anything, so things are moving quickly with her boyfriend. She loves him. But should she trust him?
All of these women are in danger. And one will end up dead.
Evidence will suggest that she was killed late at night and that she knew her attacker.
It couldn't have been a man because a Curfew tag is a solid alibi... Isn't it?
399 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2022
202 people are currently reading
10697 people want to read
About the author
Jayne Cowie
4 books85 followersAn avid reader and lifelong writer, Jayne Cowie also enjoys digging in her garden and making an excellent devil’s food cake. She lives near London with her family.
You can find her on Instagram as @CowieJayne
You can find her on Instagram as @CowieJayne
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 552 reviews
March 30, 2022
Curfew is outstandingly creative, bold, dark, provocative, unique, riveting and smart! Keeping you on your toes, confusing the hell of your mind, pushing you make assumptions and surprising you with final revaluations!
It centered on Britain where women dominate the public spaces, workplaces and government! ( hell yeah! How can I resist this brilliant world building!) as the men are electronically tagged to stay at their homes between 7 p.m to 7 a.m. , the women are not afraid of walking to their homes alone or getting scared of being attacked at the isolated places! And the best part is gender pay gap doesn’t exist any more!
The man who are determined to resist the curfew are directly caught and sent to prison!
At the beginning a dead body of a woman is found. Probably she’s killed by a man who didn’t obey the curfew rules! We don’t know the identity of the woman till the end of the book.
Detective Pamela who is about to retire sooner finds herself at the crime scene, examining the woman’s body, working on her last case. Who is this woman? Who did brutally kill her?
Then we’re introduced to main characters including Sarah whose husband serves in prison for breaking the curfew, her 18 years old, rebellious, stubborn Cass who is missing her father a lot, filled with resentment, anger, looking for trouble and Helen is a teacher of Cass’ school, filling the brains with the basics of curfew, forming her new bond with her boyfriend Tom.
Such a though provoking patriarchal utopia Handmaid’s Tale with muscular tone meets Lox and Grace Years!
I highly recommend this fast pacing, thrilling, provocative sci-fi ride!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
It centered on Britain where women dominate the public spaces, workplaces and government! ( hell yeah! How can I resist this brilliant world building!) as the men are electronically tagged to stay at their homes between 7 p.m to 7 a.m. , the women are not afraid of walking to their homes alone or getting scared of being attacked at the isolated places! And the best part is gender pay gap doesn’t exist any more!
The man who are determined to resist the curfew are directly caught and sent to prison!
At the beginning a dead body of a woman is found. Probably she’s killed by a man who didn’t obey the curfew rules! We don’t know the identity of the woman till the end of the book.
Detective Pamela who is about to retire sooner finds herself at the crime scene, examining the woman’s body, working on her last case. Who is this woman? Who did brutally kill her?
Then we’re introduced to main characters including Sarah whose husband serves in prison for breaking the curfew, her 18 years old, rebellious, stubborn Cass who is missing her father a lot, filled with resentment, anger, looking for trouble and Helen is a teacher of Cass’ school, filling the brains with the basics of curfew, forming her new bond with her boyfriend Tom.
Such a though provoking patriarchal utopia Handmaid’s Tale with muscular tone meets Lox and Grace Years!
I highly recommend this fast pacing, thrilling, provocative sci-fi ride!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
March 28, 2022
THE MOST FRIGHTENING BOOKS ARE THOSE THAT COULD COME TRUE
In the author’s note, Jayne Cowie shares that CURFEW (titled After Dark in the UK) “was submitted three weeks into the first Covid lockdown in the UK, when the country was quickly learning just how easily our freedoms could be curtailed, and how willing we were to accept restrictions that were necessary for the greater good, no matter how UNTHINKABLE they would have been previously.”
In Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” first published in 1985, women were no longer allowed to read, and some were forced to breed.
In Christina Dalcher’s “VOX” women are no longer taught to read or write, and they may no longer have jobs. The average person used to speak 16,000 words a day-now WOMEN were limited to just 💯 words daily, monitored by a bracelet.
My review for VOX: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Now, in “CURFEW” the script has been flipped and in the near future UK, after a surge of male violence, the women now dominate-and men are electronically tagged, and are not allowed out between the hours of 7PM to 7AM.
Life may be safer but is it better?
Sarah is now a single mother working as a “tagger” after her husband is sent to prison for breaking curfew. Not everyone who gets tagged is accepting of this.
Her daughter, Cass, is so angry that her father is in jail that she is determined to prove, despite great risk, that “Curfew” was an overreaction and should not be the law.
Helen wants a baby so badly that she ignores her best friends warnings that Tom might NOT be “the one”.
One of them will be murdered.
Pamela is a savvy, 30 year detective who was working homicide cases long before the “Prevention of Femicide Act” was passed in 2023. Unfortunately, she is the only woman investigating who is open to the idea that the murder could have been committed by a man.
The others believe that CURFEW gives all men a solid alibi, and they aren’t interested in the truth, if the truth reveals that CURFEW isn’t guaranteeing their safety.
Who is murdered?
Will justice be served?
And, what will become of the Prevention of Femicide Act?!
Told from each woman’s perspective this was a fascinating premise, although at times the writing seemed a bit simplistic-mostly when the story was being told from the POV of Cass. She was supposed to be 18 years old, but she seemed to act more like a petulant 15 year old, at best.
Still, I seem to enjoy all of these dystopian futures-grateful that I am not living in them but fearful that they no longer seem that far-fetched with what is going on in our own.
And, do read the rest of the Author’s note, which provides the many sobering details which helped her to imagine this disturbing new World.
AVAILABLE NOW!
In the author’s note, Jayne Cowie shares that CURFEW (titled After Dark in the UK) “was submitted three weeks into the first Covid lockdown in the UK, when the country was quickly learning just how easily our freedoms could be curtailed, and how willing we were to accept restrictions that were necessary for the greater good, no matter how UNTHINKABLE they would have been previously.”
In Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” first published in 1985, women were no longer allowed to read, and some were forced to breed.
In Christina Dalcher’s “VOX” women are no longer taught to read or write, and they may no longer have jobs. The average person used to speak 16,000 words a day-now WOMEN were limited to just 💯 words daily, monitored by a bracelet.
My review for VOX: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Now, in “CURFEW” the script has been flipped and in the near future UK, after a surge of male violence, the women now dominate-and men are electronically tagged, and are not allowed out between the hours of 7PM to 7AM.
Life may be safer but is it better?
Sarah is now a single mother working as a “tagger” after her husband is sent to prison for breaking curfew. Not everyone who gets tagged is accepting of this.
Her daughter, Cass, is so angry that her father is in jail that she is determined to prove, despite great risk, that “Curfew” was an overreaction and should not be the law.
Helen wants a baby so badly that she ignores her best friends warnings that Tom might NOT be “the one”.
One of them will be murdered.
Pamela is a savvy, 30 year detective who was working homicide cases long before the “Prevention of Femicide Act” was passed in 2023. Unfortunately, she is the only woman investigating who is open to the idea that the murder could have been committed by a man.
The others believe that CURFEW gives all men a solid alibi, and they aren’t interested in the truth, if the truth reveals that CURFEW isn’t guaranteeing their safety.
Who is murdered?
Will justice be served?
And, what will become of the Prevention of Femicide Act?!
Told from each woman’s perspective this was a fascinating premise, although at times the writing seemed a bit simplistic-mostly when the story was being told from the POV of Cass. She was supposed to be 18 years old, but she seemed to act more like a petulant 15 year old, at best.
Still, I seem to enjoy all of these dystopian futures-grateful that I am not living in them but fearful that they no longer seem that far-fetched with what is going on in our own.
And, do read the rest of the Author’s note, which provides the many sobering details which helped her to imagine this disturbing new World.
AVAILABLE NOW!
April 4, 2022
**3.5 Stars**
I have to stop reading books with a point of view told by a teenager. I find myself rolling my eyes so hard I expect them to roll out of my head. Yes, I know that most teenagers decision-making is trash, but it still gets on my nerves. I love the premise of the book. However, I didn't like any of the characters. You would think, being a mostly female dominated society, women would have managed to grow backbones. I expected characters with some strength, and I was disappointed. Overall, it is a good read.
I have to stop reading books with a point of view told by a teenager. I find myself rolling my eyes so hard I expect them to roll out of my head. Yes, I know that most teenagers decision-making is trash, but it still gets on my nerves. I love the premise of the book. However, I didn't like any of the characters. You would think, being a mostly female dominated society, women would have managed to grow backbones. I expected characters with some strength, and I was disappointed. Overall, it is a good read.
April 9, 2022
Wait ‘Till the Midnight Hour.
A women's body was dumped overnight and DI Pamela is on the case. Just shy of retirement, she vows to solve the mysterious circumstances before she leaves the job.
Grainy security footage displays a person of interest and her gut says that the perpetrator is a man. But that couldn’t be… because all men were under curfew at the time of the drop off.
In this dystopian novel set in 2040’s London, males over ten years old must stay inside from seven in the evening to seven the next morning. The law was enacted in an effort to curb violence and to restore peacefulness for women.
The injustice to half of society by imposing restrictions as a preventative really stood out to me. The men in this story were deemed potentially guilty and punished inactively for crimes they MIGHT commit. How did this seem fair?
About the point I became almost too sympathetic to their situation, I was reeled back by the thought that females, the other half of the population, have been on the wrong side of the equation for centuries.
Whether you agree with reversing the status quo and imagining a world where women yield the power, this was an inventive and riveting read. I credit the author’s creativity in delivering a message which she details in the writer’s notes at the conclusion.
I also appreciated the brevity. The mystery moved along and all the characters were interesting. Not all of them were likable mind you…
I love a good revenge story, but this isn’t solely one of those. With serious and relevant content, this would probably make a great book club read as there’s a lot to discuss and debate.
I purchased this from The Book Depository and really loved it!
A women's body was dumped overnight and DI Pamela is on the case. Just shy of retirement, she vows to solve the mysterious circumstances before she leaves the job.
Grainy security footage displays a person of interest and her gut says that the perpetrator is a man. But that couldn’t be… because all men were under curfew at the time of the drop off.
In this dystopian novel set in 2040’s London, males over ten years old must stay inside from seven in the evening to seven the next morning. The law was enacted in an effort to curb violence and to restore peacefulness for women.
The injustice to half of society by imposing restrictions as a preventative really stood out to me. The men in this story were deemed potentially guilty and punished inactively for crimes they MIGHT commit. How did this seem fair?
About the point I became almost too sympathetic to their situation, I was reeled back by the thought that females, the other half of the population, have been on the wrong side of the equation for centuries.
Whether you agree with reversing the status quo and imagining a world where women yield the power, this was an inventive and riveting read. I credit the author’s creativity in delivering a message which she details in the writer’s notes at the conclusion.
I also appreciated the brevity. The mystery moved along and all the characters were interesting. Not all of them were likable mind you…
I love a good revenge story, but this isn’t solely one of those. With serious and relevant content, this would probably make a great book club read as there’s a lot to discuss and debate.
I purchased this from The Book Depository and really loved it!
January 23, 2023
Curfew
by Jayne Cowie is set in a dystopian near-future Britain. This story is set in a time and place were women dominate workplaces, public spaces, and government. Women are no longer afraid to walk home alone or catch the last train or bus. Why? All men (and boys 10 years old or older) are electronically tagged and aren’t allowed out of their residences between 7 P.M. and 7 A.M. Failure to adhere to the curfew will result in a three-month prison sentence for the first offense.
Things are better now. Right? Cohabitation licenses require multiple weeks of couples counseling. Violence against women has dropped significantly. The other side is that men are limited by the shifts they can work. Additionally, if they have violated curfew, it is tough to find a job. When a woman is murdered after midnight, it couldn’t have been a man because a Curfew tag is a solid alibi. Isn’t it?
This story is told from the points of view of four women. Pamela is a senior police officer nearing retirement who investigates the murder. Sarah Wallace is a single mom who has rebuilt her life after sending her husband to prison for violating curfew. They’re divorced, but he is going to be released soon. Their teenage daughter, Cass Johnson, hates living in a world that restricts boys and argues continually with her mom and her teacher, Helen Taylor. Helen teaches a class on the history of curfew. She has also applied for a cohabitation certificate with her boyfriend Tom.
All four women are reasonably well-developed, but not very likeable much of the time. The multi-angled character process is effective. Readers start to see how each women connects to and understands or misunderstands the others. This adds complexity and depth to their relationships.
Besides the story going back and forth between these four women, it moves back and forth in time from the present day to four weeks earlier. While this gives a great view of the lives of the women and their friends, it also slows the pace somewhat.
This story features a Britain with repressive control systems and an absence of individual freedoms for men and boys as a needed alternative to the violence against women that is so prevalent in the world today. The plot is twisty and provocative. It doesn’t take into consideration gender identities other than male and female. However, it does look at generational differences in points of view regarding the Curfew Laws.
Overall, this is novel makes one think about issues as well as providing a good murder mystery.
All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was March 22, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
----------------------------------------
My 3.86 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
Things are better now. Right? Cohabitation licenses require multiple weeks of couples counseling. Violence against women has dropped significantly. The other side is that men are limited by the shifts they can work. Additionally, if they have violated curfew, it is tough to find a job. When a woman is murdered after midnight, it couldn’t have been a man because a Curfew tag is a solid alibi. Isn’t it?
This story is told from the points of view of four women. Pamela is a senior police officer nearing retirement who investigates the murder. Sarah Wallace is a single mom who has rebuilt her life after sending her husband to prison for violating curfew. They’re divorced, but he is going to be released soon. Their teenage daughter, Cass Johnson, hates living in a world that restricts boys and argues continually with her mom and her teacher, Helen Taylor. Helen teaches a class on the history of curfew. She has also applied for a cohabitation certificate with her boyfriend Tom.
All four women are reasonably well-developed, but not very likeable much of the time. The multi-angled character process is effective. Readers start to see how each women connects to and understands or misunderstands the others. This adds complexity and depth to their relationships.
Besides the story going back and forth between these four women, it moves back and forth in time from the present day to four weeks earlier. While this gives a great view of the lives of the women and their friends, it also slows the pace somewhat.
This story features a Britain with repressive control systems and an absence of individual freedoms for men and boys as a needed alternative to the violence against women that is so prevalent in the world today. The plot is twisty and provocative. It doesn’t take into consideration gender identities other than male and female. However, it does look at generational differences in points of view regarding the Curfew Laws.
Overall, this is novel makes one think about issues as well as providing a good murder mystery.
All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was March 22, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
----------------------------------------
My 3.86 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
March 23, 2022
US Title -Curfew.
Britain is a very different country since the Prevention of Femicide Act in 2023 as from 7pm to 7am men are under curfew and tagged to ensure they stay put. In a complete societal change women dominate the workplace and most importantly 'after dark' and it seems as if life has been transformed and made safe for the female population. That is until now, sixteen years later, when a female body is discovered in a park partially hidden under leaves. The female police officers investigating the murder rule out men as they believe it's impossible but a thirty year experienced detective Pamela has huge doubts. The story is told via several points of view - Pamela, teacher Helen, tagger Sarah and her daughter Cass.
This is a very pertinent and thought provoking dystopian novel which following the murder last year of Sarah Everard is highly relevant. ( https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...) First and foremost though, this is a murder mystery but set in a different set of circumstances to our own. The author does a good job utilising her characters to give a debate on the imagined situation of Britain in the near future. Of them all, Pamela seems the most rational and truthful as she is prepared to take a broader peak at suspects even if it's uncomfortable for her co-workers. Sarah has her reasons for being a man hater and is very pro the implications of the Femicide Act while teenager Cass is against, so via them you get some heated opposite ends of the spectrum debates. Their characters are perhaps less convincing than the others especially Cass who feels younger than her actual age with her truculent and rude attitude. Helen's character is very interesting as she goes through a whole range of changing emotions.
I really enjoy how the puzzle of the victim is withheld for a long time which keeps you interested, invested and reading on. The novel is well written, the pace is spot on, there are plenty of twists and turns, some tense confrontations and some fascinating situations of deception and delusion. There's a lot that's simmering beneath the surface as well as the acrimony you do see. The ending is good and does make you reflect on how far you would/could/might go in the name of protection and safety. This would be an excellent book club choice as I can imagine it will lead to some very lively and possibly heated discussions.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Penguin for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Britain is a very different country since the Prevention of Femicide Act in 2023 as from 7pm to 7am men are under curfew and tagged to ensure they stay put. In a complete societal change women dominate the workplace and most importantly 'after dark' and it seems as if life has been transformed and made safe for the female population. That is until now, sixteen years later, when a female body is discovered in a park partially hidden under leaves. The female police officers investigating the murder rule out men as they believe it's impossible but a thirty year experienced detective Pamela has huge doubts. The story is told via several points of view - Pamela, teacher Helen, tagger Sarah and her daughter Cass.
This is a very pertinent and thought provoking dystopian novel which following the murder last year of Sarah Everard is highly relevant. ( https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...) First and foremost though, this is a murder mystery but set in a different set of circumstances to our own. The author does a good job utilising her characters to give a debate on the imagined situation of Britain in the near future. Of them all, Pamela seems the most rational and truthful as she is prepared to take a broader peak at suspects even if it's uncomfortable for her co-workers. Sarah has her reasons for being a man hater and is very pro the implications of the Femicide Act while teenager Cass is against, so via them you get some heated opposite ends of the spectrum debates. Their characters are perhaps less convincing than the others especially Cass who feels younger than her actual age with her truculent and rude attitude. Helen's character is very interesting as she goes through a whole range of changing emotions.
I really enjoy how the puzzle of the victim is withheld for a long time which keeps you interested, invested and reading on. The novel is well written, the pace is spot on, there are plenty of twists and turns, some tense confrontations and some fascinating situations of deception and delusion. There's a lot that's simmering beneath the surface as well as the acrimony you do see. The ending is good and does make you reflect on how far you would/could/might go in the name of protection and safety. This would be an excellent book club choice as I can imagine it will lead to some very lively and possibly heated discussions.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Penguin for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
February 8, 2022
Book review posted to blog:https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
A Highly Intelligent Character-Driven Dystopian Novel!
Imagine a time and place where violence is curtailed, and women dominate in all areas. Discrimination and racism no longer exist. How has this been achieved? It’s called the Curfew.
In Britain, after the government determines that most violent crime occurs because of men, they are electronically tagged with an ankle bracelet and restricted by a Curfew. Men cannot leave the house between the hours of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. If they break curfew, they are sent to prison. All of their whereabouts and their actions are tracked. After years of this, violence has all but diminished.
Peace is restored and all is well. Until one day a woman is violently murdered, in a park and her face unrecognizable.
The question of course is who is the culprit.
Sarah is a tagger. She loves her job because it makes her feel safe. Her ex-husband Greg has been in prison for several months for inappropriate behavior. If she had it her way, he’d never get out, unfortunately for her, he’s about to be released. Sarah’s rebellious teenage daughter Cass misses her father very much and decides to stir up trouble in more ways than one.
Helen is Cass’s “Curfew” Teacher. Helen has her hands full with Cass and with her new boyfriend Tom.
Pamela is a Detective assigned to the murder investigation. She has several suspicions, though no one on the force is interested in hearing them.
This is a fabulously written, intelligent, character-driven Dystopian novel that kept me fully engaged. Kudos to Jayne Cowie for thinking out of the box.
Thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing Group for the arc.
Published on Goodreads and Twitter
A Highly Intelligent Character-Driven Dystopian Novel!
Imagine a time and place where violence is curtailed, and women dominate in all areas. Discrimination and racism no longer exist. How has this been achieved? It’s called the Curfew.
In Britain, after the government determines that most violent crime occurs because of men, they are electronically tagged with an ankle bracelet and restricted by a Curfew. Men cannot leave the house between the hours of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. If they break curfew, they are sent to prison. All of their whereabouts and their actions are tracked. After years of this, violence has all but diminished.
Peace is restored and all is well. Until one day a woman is violently murdered, in a park and her face unrecognizable.
The question of course is who is the culprit.
Sarah is a tagger. She loves her job because it makes her feel safe. Her ex-husband Greg has been in prison for several months for inappropriate behavior. If she had it her way, he’d never get out, unfortunately for her, he’s about to be released. Sarah’s rebellious teenage daughter Cass misses her father very much and decides to stir up trouble in more ways than one.
Helen is Cass’s “Curfew” Teacher. Helen has her hands full with Cass and with her new boyfriend Tom.
Pamela is a Detective assigned to the murder investigation. She has several suspicions, though no one on the force is interested in hearing them.
This is a fabulously written, intelligent, character-driven Dystopian novel that kept me fully engaged. Kudos to Jayne Cowie for thinking out of the box.
Thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing Group for the arc.
Published on Goodreads and Twitter
March 22, 2022
Curfew by Jayne Cowie is a thrilling science fiction fantasy novel. The story in Curfew is one that is told in two timelines, one at present day and the other beginning four weeks earlier. It’s also one that changes the point of view between several of the characters in an alternate reality in Britain.
In the present police have found the body of a murdered woman. Pamela is a detective working the case trying to find out just who was responsible. There shouldn’t be a crime like this as men are all tagged and have to obey a curfew to keep woman safe so they should have known if a man was out after curfew but Pamela is sure this couldn’t have been done by a woman.
Four weeks earlier Sarah was taking her teenage daughter to work to show her the possibilities out there for her as a woman. Sarah works in the tagging center doing her part to keep men in line after her husband was sent to prison for breaking curfew. Sarah’s daughter Cass doesn’t believe the system is fair to men and regularly argues that fact with her Curfew teacher, Ms. Taylor.
Curfew by Jayne Cowie is being marketed as a reverse Handmaid’s Tale and I suppose that’s a fair assessment. I admit I was curious as to a world that the women were in control but what really pulled me into this story and wouldn’t let me go was they mystery within. The author’s style of alluding to what will happen and then going back to build it had the pages turning faster and faster to see how it would all turn out. This was almost a five star but I have to admit I couldn’t help wondering why there wasn’t at least one nice male involved as it seemed to point to them all being horrible which isn’t the case. Otherwise I found this an incredibly addictive read and had a hard time believing it was a debut!
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
In the present police have found the body of a murdered woman. Pamela is a detective working the case trying to find out just who was responsible. There shouldn’t be a crime like this as men are all tagged and have to obey a curfew to keep woman safe so they should have known if a man was out after curfew but Pamela is sure this couldn’t have been done by a woman.
Four weeks earlier Sarah was taking her teenage daughter to work to show her the possibilities out there for her as a woman. Sarah works in the tagging center doing her part to keep men in line after her husband was sent to prison for breaking curfew. Sarah’s daughter Cass doesn’t believe the system is fair to men and regularly argues that fact with her Curfew teacher, Ms. Taylor.
Curfew by Jayne Cowie is being marketed as a reverse Handmaid’s Tale and I suppose that’s a fair assessment. I admit I was curious as to a world that the women were in control but what really pulled me into this story and wouldn’t let me go was they mystery within. The author’s style of alluding to what will happen and then going back to build it had the pages turning faster and faster to see how it would all turn out. This was almost a five star but I have to admit I couldn’t help wondering why there wasn’t at least one nice male involved as it seemed to point to them all being horrible which isn’t the case. Otherwise I found this an incredibly addictive read and had a hard time believing it was a debut!
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
May 28, 2022
I really enjoyed this one & am sorry it took me a bit to get around to it. Both SFF/dystopia and a mystery it kept me invested in it. The MC's are strongly written, the teen Cass maybe a bit too strongly as her arrogance got on my nerves a bit. Appreciated the authors' note & what she was trying to say with this work
November 11, 2022
Briefly Hum... Parts I really loved, some parts less so. 3.5/5 but rounded up.
In full
In the not too distant future, after a series of murders of women by men, a law was introduced that put men under a curfew. Shortly after that men were all electronically tagged and so were unable to be away from their homes between 7pm and 7am. Women's lives became much freer. They also are far more dominant in the workplace and elsewhere. And then a woman was attacked and murdered between those hours. The attacker couldn't be a man as he would have been tagged and discovered wouldn't he?
There is a cast of smaller and larger characters here. Pamela is a police officer who is investigating the case and she is nearing retirement. Sarah is a tagger who is responsible for making sure men are tagged. Her husband is in jail for breaking Curfew. Cass is her teenage daughter. Helen is one of Cass's teachers. This is not all the characters but they are probably the main ones. For me some of characters here became rather stereotypical at times sadly. A possible issue for me is that while the characters generally were ok I didn't find myself really engaged with any of them continuously.
The story does having shifting time lines. The murder aspect of this is "current time" while the other chapters start four weeks earlier and move towards the time of the murder. I guess there are two very distinct aspects of this story for me. There is the crime story and also the "what would the world look like if the Curfew idea was real" one. The crime story side was decent enough. On its own it might not have worked fully but couple it with the Curfew and I enjoyed it. The book manages to maintain a sense of mystery for quite some time - I prefer not to have spoilers so will say no more!
If anything the Curfew idea of the book was even more edgy than the crime side. The broader idea of Curfew was interesting and maybe shone something of a light onto the subject. It was definitely thought provoking. The detail of the idea however seemed to lead into the fact that at best men were a nuisance. I'd like to think that my world view was a fairly balanced one but I did feel rather uncomfortable reading this at times (and maybe that was the idea). Certainly there were no "good" men in this.
In the end maybe this was not not quite what I was expecting but in part it was maybe better than that. I do think that it was good that it was written. Possibly this is a hard book for any men to offer much in the way of comment on. It feels to me as though the tone of this at times seems almost comparable to some of the less desirable male stances. I am glad I read this and I think it will stay with me for sometime to come. I've be really interested in seeing another book from this author. 3.5/5
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
In full
In the not too distant future, after a series of murders of women by men, a law was introduced that put men under a curfew. Shortly after that men were all electronically tagged and so were unable to be away from their homes between 7pm and 7am. Women's lives became much freer. They also are far more dominant in the workplace and elsewhere. And then a woman was attacked and murdered between those hours. The attacker couldn't be a man as he would have been tagged and discovered wouldn't he?
There is a cast of smaller and larger characters here. Pamela is a police officer who is investigating the case and she is nearing retirement. Sarah is a tagger who is responsible for making sure men are tagged. Her husband is in jail for breaking Curfew. Cass is her teenage daughter. Helen is one of Cass's teachers. This is not all the characters but they are probably the main ones. For me some of characters here became rather stereotypical at times sadly. A possible issue for me is that while the characters generally were ok I didn't find myself really engaged with any of them continuously.
The story does having shifting time lines. The murder aspect of this is "current time" while the other chapters start four weeks earlier and move towards the time of the murder. I guess there are two very distinct aspects of this story for me. There is the crime story and also the "what would the world look like if the Curfew idea was real" one. The crime story side was decent enough. On its own it might not have worked fully but couple it with the Curfew and I enjoyed it. The book manages to maintain a sense of mystery for quite some time - I prefer not to have spoilers so will say no more!
If anything the Curfew idea of the book was even more edgy than the crime side. The broader idea of Curfew was interesting and maybe shone something of a light onto the subject. It was definitely thought provoking. The detail of the idea however seemed to lead into the fact that at best men were a nuisance. I'd like to think that my world view was a fairly balanced one but I did feel rather uncomfortable reading this at times (and maybe that was the idea). Certainly there were no "good" men in this.
In the end maybe this was not not quite what I was expecting but in part it was maybe better than that. I do think that it was good that it was written. Possibly this is a hard book for any men to offer much in the way of comment on. It feels to me as though the tone of this at times seems almost comparable to some of the less desirable male stances. I am glad I read this and I think it will stay with me for sometime to come. I've be really interested in seeing another book from this author. 3.5/5
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
April 14, 2022
This was both a difficult book to read and to review. We are in a near future, dystopian Britain, where a series of violent murders on women have led to men being tagged and under Curfew from 7pm to 7am. This has led to a huge drop in murders against women (although, statistically, surely both young children and women are in more danger of being murdered at home, by people they know, but this is based far more on murders, and attacks, by men who are strangers). Smartphones are no longer in use, with people using ‘slates,’ which sound fairly similar to be honest, and if women long to be pregnant, like one of the characters in this book, they want to have daughters. Having a son, tagged at the age of ten and under restrictions, curtails the mother’s life, as well as her sons.
Of course, there have been high profile murders of young women by strangers that have recently made the news and I can still recall how, during the time of the Yorkshire Ripper, women were told to stay home at night, so this is an emotive subject. It is obviously unfair to suggest that women’s lives, and freedoms, should be affected by male violence. However, no system is easy or fool proof, and this book opens with the discovery of a woman’s body in the early morning. Pamela is a detective close to retirement when the body is discovered and the unfolding discovery of who the woman is revealed through the stories of several female characters. Sarah Wallace, whose ex-husband is soon to be released from prison, and her teenage daughter, Cass, Helen, who longs to move in with perfect man Tom and have children, detective, Pamela, and other peripheral characters. Sarah is a ‘tagger,’ who delights in the restriction’s men face, while teenage daughter, Cass resents the loss of her father and derides her mother as a ‘man hater.’
I realise that I am writing this review from the position of a woman who has never suffered from male violence, whose home is a place of safety, but, of course, like all women, I am aware of the statistics. Like all women, I have felt unsafe at times in my life while travelling, especially when young, and who has a teenage daughter (thankfully, one more mature than that of the character in this book!). I think this would be a good read for book groups, as there are lots of themes to discuss and even some discussion questions included. However, this is a somewhat simplistic look at important themes, from the view of a crime novel, and lacks a male character perspective to have added an essential perspective. Men are viewed very one dimensionally and I simply found that I was glad to finish this – an uncomfortable and ultimately unsatisfying read. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
Of course, there have been high profile murders of young women by strangers that have recently made the news and I can still recall how, during the time of the Yorkshire Ripper, women were told to stay home at night, so this is an emotive subject. It is obviously unfair to suggest that women’s lives, and freedoms, should be affected by male violence. However, no system is easy or fool proof, and this book opens with the discovery of a woman’s body in the early morning. Pamela is a detective close to retirement when the body is discovered and the unfolding discovery of who the woman is revealed through the stories of several female characters. Sarah Wallace, whose ex-husband is soon to be released from prison, and her teenage daughter, Cass, Helen, who longs to move in with perfect man Tom and have children, detective, Pamela, and other peripheral characters. Sarah is a ‘tagger,’ who delights in the restriction’s men face, while teenage daughter, Cass resents the loss of her father and derides her mother as a ‘man hater.’
I realise that I am writing this review from the position of a woman who has never suffered from male violence, whose home is a place of safety, but, of course, like all women, I am aware of the statistics. Like all women, I have felt unsafe at times in my life while travelling, especially when young, and who has a teenage daughter (thankfully, one more mature than that of the character in this book!). I think this would be a good read for book groups, as there are lots of themes to discuss and even some discussion questions included. However, this is a somewhat simplistic look at important themes, from the view of a crime novel, and lacks a male character perspective to have added an essential perspective. Men are viewed very one dimensionally and I simply found that I was glad to finish this – an uncomfortable and ultimately unsatisfying read. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
March 3, 2022
Mmmmm this book was absolutely delicious. An alternate reality set in England where the response to violence against women by men changed from “stay inside to stay safe” to “we will make sure you can be safe.” Men are electronically tagged and expected to be inside from 7am until 7pm. Violent crime drops dramatically and women are safer, but many don’t think it’s necessary or aren’t happy with it. This story alternates between perspectives and starts with a mysterious crime of a dead woman found in the park and then jumps back a few months and tells a myriad of stories that end up tying into that dead body. A world where women were valued so much more than men - where they were the breadwinners and traditionally female careers were well paying (at one point a woman tells someone she’s a teacher and they respond impressed at what a great paying job that is!). The characters were all great and while the system does seem to be working in the big picture every system has flaws.
August 19, 2022
I read Handmaids Tale a few years ago. Same dystopian world yet reversed, where men are under curfew 7pm to 7 am, and are tagged to control their movements. A woman’s body is found brutally beaten and murdered in a park. The amount of force and violence used on her doesn’t seem to be a woman’s work. How could a man escape curfew without being seen, take of his tag and carry out such violent crime?
This book raises many important questions, such as:
- does putting men under curfew stop violence against women?
- will curfew work in the long run?
- is tagging fair and just thing to do towards men?
It was an interesting read. It’s a great book to discuss in a classroom setting.
A solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoy!
This book raises many important questions, such as:
- does putting men under curfew stop violence against women?
- will curfew work in the long run?
- is tagging fair and just thing to do towards men?
It was an interesting read. It’s a great book to discuss in a classroom setting.
A solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoy!
May 14, 2022
I know this was fictitious, I am not one to make waves, EVER. The author had a purpose for this book, and she said so in her acknowledgements. I completely understand that. I found this whole story appalling though. If the roles were reversed and if it was a male author writing it, and WOMEN had to a have metal ankle bracelet slapped on THEM at the age of ten. Holy crap on a cracker. I would bargain to say this would be a major controversy.
The “tag” was not a new concept either. It was the same device used for alcohol infractions in the U.S. So that was not the interesting sci-fi thrill I was hoping to get out of this.
I have never disliked characters in a book as much as Helen and Sarah. Their hatred towards men was so extreme, for nothing but life's issues? I just could not wrap my brain around this. The character of Cassie, the child of 17 years old was a total brat. I will not even give you, “if that my was my kid,” blah, blah. I thanked my lucky stars for the police officer Pamela though! She was not a man hater. Mabel was pretty cool as well.
Other readers have enjoyed this novel, so Please try it out so you may form your own opinion.
The “tag” was not a new concept either. It was the same device used for alcohol infractions in the U.S. So that was not the interesting sci-fi thrill I was hoping to get out of this.
I have never disliked characters in a book as much as Helen and Sarah. Their hatred towards men was so extreme, for nothing but life's issues? I just could not wrap my brain around this. The character of Cassie, the child of 17 years old was a total brat. I will not even give you, “if that my was my kid,” blah, blah. I thanked my lucky stars for the police officer Pamela though! She was not a man hater. Mabel was pretty cool as well.
Other readers have enjoyed this novel, so Please try it out so you may form your own opinion.
March 23, 2022
Whew, where to start!!
First of all, I acknowledge that this book is a reaction to the uptick in violence against women in the UK. It’s a major, troublesome issue (there and everywhere) and something definitely needs to be done about it. I also read Jayne Cowie’s author note where she mentions her abusive father and distrust in all men, and I can respect how someone gets to that level. If Me Too taught us anything, it’s that so many men are bad!
I was intrigued by the premise of this book, where men are subject to a curfew from 7 pm to 7 am that’s enforced by electronic tagging. I’m always down for a spec fic about gender issues…if it’s done well. But this was not. Let’s get into why.
1) There is no mention of how this Curfew affects trans women & men, those who are gender fluid, intersex, etc. It’s extremely binary, and the fact that this is set in the UK, a country with a well-known TERF problem, makes the absence of those in the gender spectrum extremely troubling to me.
2) It’s all very surface level. At first I thought this might go in the direction of The Power, which showed that having women solely in control of society is also not great for women. Power corrupts, and women are not perfect, infallible creatures. (It’s also a lot of stress to be in charge!!) Here there are blatant examples of women abusing their power, with one main character even inadvertently killing a guy. But this doesn’t get examined deeper. In fact, this woman is lauded as justified by the end.
Here, women are treating men the way men treat us, and I guess to some that is justice. But I hope that there’s a more equitable solution out there, where everyone can just be treated like human beings.
3) All of the men here are evil, evil, evil. I guess Cass’s friend Billy is a bit more of a grey area, but by the end you also see inklings of his Male Temper. There’s no nuance. By the end, the one character who thinks this system is problematic is completely turned around and hates men just as much as the others. It’s just so….basic.
I could go on, but I think those three points sum up my disappointment with this book. I appreciate where this story stems from, I just wish it had more to say than “All Men Are Monsters and Women Must Destroy Them.”
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, I acknowledge that this book is a reaction to the uptick in violence against women in the UK. It’s a major, troublesome issue (there and everywhere) and something definitely needs to be done about it. I also read Jayne Cowie’s author note where she mentions her abusive father and distrust in all men, and I can respect how someone gets to that level. If Me Too taught us anything, it’s that so many men are bad!
I was intrigued by the premise of this book, where men are subject to a curfew from 7 pm to 7 am that’s enforced by electronic tagging. I’m always down for a spec fic about gender issues…if it’s done well. But this was not. Let’s get into why.
1) There is no mention of how this Curfew affects trans women & men, those who are gender fluid, intersex, etc. It’s extremely binary, and the fact that this is set in the UK, a country with a well-known TERF problem, makes the absence of those in the gender spectrum extremely troubling to me.
2) It’s all very surface level. At first I thought this might go in the direction of The Power, which showed that having women solely in control of society is also not great for women. Power corrupts, and women are not perfect, infallible creatures. (It’s also a lot of stress to be in charge!!) Here there are blatant examples of women abusing their power, with one main character even inadvertently killing a guy. But this doesn’t get examined deeper. In fact, this woman is lauded as justified by the end.
Here, women are treating men the way men treat us, and I guess to some that is justice. But I hope that there’s a more equitable solution out there, where everyone can just be treated like human beings.
3) All of the men here are evil, evil, evil. I guess Cass’s friend Billy is a bit more of a grey area, but by the end you also see inklings of his Male Temper. There’s no nuance. By the end, the one character who thinks this system is problematic is completely turned around and hates men just as much as the others. It’s just so….basic.
I could go on, but I think those three points sum up my disappointment with this book. I appreciate where this story stems from, I just wish it had more to say than “All Men Are Monsters and Women Must Destroy Them.”
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 19, 2022
“Sometimes women find themselves in a position where it’s easier and safer to say yes even when they want to say no.”
✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮
Please read synopsis on title page.
** I really enjoyed this book, and I feel like it’s an important subject to talk about. But please look to the bottom of my review for my opinions on the topic, because although I disagree with the author herself, it’s not something I want to base my opinion of the actual story on. **
I loved it. I honestly did. It’s told from multiple POV, so you know the thoughts of four characters throughout. The switch between the POVs was seamless, and I loved that the characters were built so well. Cass was my favourite, because I think she was relatable in her vulnerabilities that a lot of teenage girls have, and the way she behaves towards her mum is almost typical and predictable for a teenage rebelling. The story was also built well. At the start we know someone is going to die at the end, and the suspense is well built throughout and it’s a complete mystery. It’s also really refreshing to have a completely fresh piece of fiction published. It’s different and truly original.
**OPINIONS**
This is one hell of an important book, but maybe I disagree with the author slightly on what is needed. When we hear about deaths and violence, abuse, rape, it tends to be the women that are scared of the men. We’ve had movements like #MeToo. It’s women that are scared to walk home at night on their own. That are scared to get a taxi by themselves. That need to let their friends know where they are going with their tinder date. This book is set in the future of this. Where men are curfews between 7pm and 7am, and tagged and tracked at all times. But, at the end of the book the women are calling for MORE restrictions for men, to protect women. Ok, when you look at the statistics, there are more violent men than women convicted, but not all men are like that, and the rest of them don’t need to be treated like prisoners. Also, what about the situations where the men are the ones being abused? I could talk about this all day, so I’ll stop this here, but I’m intrigued. How would you approach this in coming years?
✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮
Please read synopsis on title page.
** I really enjoyed this book, and I feel like it’s an important subject to talk about. But please look to the bottom of my review for my opinions on the topic, because although I disagree with the author herself, it’s not something I want to base my opinion of the actual story on. **
I loved it. I honestly did. It’s told from multiple POV, so you know the thoughts of four characters throughout. The switch between the POVs was seamless, and I loved that the characters were built so well. Cass was my favourite, because I think she was relatable in her vulnerabilities that a lot of teenage girls have, and the way she behaves towards her mum is almost typical and predictable for a teenage rebelling. The story was also built well. At the start we know someone is going to die at the end, and the suspense is well built throughout and it’s a complete mystery. It’s also really refreshing to have a completely fresh piece of fiction published. It’s different and truly original.
**OPINIONS**
This is one hell of an important book, but maybe I disagree with the author slightly on what is needed. When we hear about deaths and violence, abuse, rape, it tends to be the women that are scared of the men. We’ve had movements like #MeToo. It’s women that are scared to walk home at night on their own. That are scared to get a taxi by themselves. That need to let their friends know where they are going with their tinder date. This book is set in the future of this. Where men are curfews between 7pm and 7am, and tagged and tracked at all times. But, at the end of the book the women are calling for MORE restrictions for men, to protect women. Ok, when you look at the statistics, there are more violent men than women convicted, but not all men are like that, and the rest of them don’t need to be treated like prisoners. Also, what about the situations where the men are the ones being abused? I could talk about this all day, so I’ll stop this here, but I’m intrigued. How would you approach this in coming years?
March 21, 2022
Oh good lord. I'm not sure I can review this without sounding dismissive, misogynistic or anti-feminist—which I most certainly am not—but I'm going to try.
5.5 / 10 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
Curfew takes place in a near-future Britain where women dominate the workforce, police, wealthy, important, and government. Where the gender pay gap is a thing of the past. Where motherhood opens doors rather than closing them. Where women are no longer afraid to walk the streets alone after dark, dress how they like, or have a few too many drinks while out with their friends.
A world where—from 7pm to 7am—all men are tagged and kept under a strict curfew.
But while the Curfew has fixed some problems, it has just exacerbated others.
Sarah is a single mother whose life started anew when her husband Greg was sent to prison for breaking curfew. After three-months inside, Sarah isn’t expecting a warm reunion—and doesn’t want one. If it were up to her, neither she nor her daughter would ever see Greg again. Though her daughter Cass doesn’t see it that way. She misses her father terribly—and blames her mother for his arrest. And she hates living in a world that restricts her best friend, Billy, simply because he’s a boy.
Helen works as a teacher at a local school. Secretly desperate for a baby, she’s applied for a Co-hab certificate for her and her boyfriend, Tom, and is terrified they won’t get it. All her friends hate Tom, but to Helen, he’s the most perfect man in the world.
But nothing is ever perfect, and perfection never lasts. The town is shocked when a woman is found violently murdered in the middle of town. Evidence suggests that she died late at night—long after Curfew came into effect. And yet, is Curfew as foolproof a system as they all think, or has a man somehow managed to trick the system and kill one of their own, again?
—
Women kill in self-defense, or because they have psychiatric problems. Men kill because they can.
—
Curfew was an interesting read for a number of reasons, but there were a fair amount of issues I had with it as well. I’m a little worried that my review will come off as a bit misogynistic, or dismissive of domestic violence, or how some men treat some women. So let me just say up front that domestic violence and crimes committed by men against women are horrible. OBVIOUSLY horrible. What I objected to was the author’s view of how certain laws would completely change the world. Take out the… shall we say “most dangerous predator” in any system, and a new one is going to rise to fill the gap.
First off (and I know how this is going to sound), I found it a bit misandristic (that’s the opposite of misogynistic, FYI). I mean, women being full equal members of society sounds amazing, but then, equality isn’t really equality at all. Now men are treated as second-class citizens. The pay gap swings the other way. Little boys are commonly aborted before birth while girls are seen as an incredible blessing. I would’ve liked to see more on this side of things, but it really wasn’t addressed. A male perspective would’ve helped us see the story from another angle, and perhaps opened up a more interesting debate on the subject. Furthermore, non-binary genders weren’t addressed at all. By itself though, the premise is definitely intriguing: a society that favors the lives of women over men—in opposition to so many of the historical patriarchies and patrilineal kinship systems favored by cultures around the world. Though it’s interesting to see what might’ve happened if a historically patriarchy flipped to a matriarchy, I would’ve liked to see a bit more done on the history of it. As it was there was mention of one particular murder, a few vague references that aren’t well explored—and nothing else. I realize that some crime—particularly violence against women would be down during the 12 hours that men are under curfew—would be down, but it certainly wouldn’t eliminate most crime. Likewise, I think the idea that murder was “a thing of the past” was a bit ridiculous. Because of course, not only men kill people.
The story itself goes along pretty quick. While I got more and more disillusioned by the male characters—well, by most of the characters—the farther we got into it, Curfew was never a very difficult story to read. It flows quite well, and quite quickly. I think that I finished it in a couple of days. But it wasn’t so much the whodunnit that kept me reading, exactly—more on that later.
Throughout the story, we are confronted by several asshole male characters, as well as a few grey-area ones. The further and further we move into the story itself, the less room for interpretation there is. The male characters are one-sided, have no depth, no development, and are either detestable and forgettable. The female characters honestly aren’t that much better—with only a couple showing any sort of depth or growth. The ending is more than a bit bleak, to be honest. The story itself boils down to the conclusion that most men are just evil—an illation that the author doubles-down on come the her post-note, to the point that I wasn’t actually sure whether she believed it or not. Really. It just… it sure sounded like she did. Which is… worrying.
For so much of the text, especially later on, Curfew boils down to an “Us vs. Them” (men vs. women). It is actually quite the motivator in the big reveal, though I won’t reveal how. It’s also something I found stupid—a poor attempt at tying up a loose end. The murder case itself I found to be clumsy. The police aren’t terribly competent. Or professional. For the most part they bumble around trying to pin the murder on one suspect after another, without paying much attention to, like, evidence. They seem convinced that the Curfew is completely infallible—except for one lone officer, Pamela, who’s on the brink of retirement.
My biggest issue with the mystery is with the body itself. The story takes place in two parts: a flashback starting three weeks earlier and including several POVs (which takes up most of the story), and a present day (and intermittent chapter) following a single POV, Pamela. One of the most important aspects of a whodunnit is to not give too much away at any given point. You really want to parcel information out at increments, let the reader guess and try to puzzle it out for themselves. But Curfew provides contrasting information up front, and it all gets a little muddied come the end. Early on a body is discovered, and it’s noted that the fingerprints of the victim don’t match any in their database. The problem is that all the main characters in Curfew (save one) are police, government employees, or teachers—all professions which require fingerprinting. Which meant that the corpse could really only be one person. Only that it couldn’t be that simple. And so by the time the Big Reveal eventually came, I’d been assuming that the author was going to completely ignore the whole fingerprint thing from earlier. It doesn’t count as a plot twist if you just provide false information up front.
Oh—and this is just a note—at one point a detective visits a woman’s cohab flat and judges that a gaming console is out of place in her place and must therefore belong to man. Thus perpetuating the stereotype that women don’t play video games. Which is ridiculous.
TL;DR
Curfew raises many good points about sexual assault, domestic violence, and unequal pay. But so much of it comes across as misandristic that it’s hard for me to fully untangle the two. Honestly, I’m not convinced that the author doesn’t actually believe that most men are evil. The story itself runs along quite nicely, though there are more than a few holes in the plot and hiccups in the story. It’s a fairly quick read, but profoundly disappointed me with the execution of the mystery and the bleakness of the message such that I never felt that I really enjoyed it. The history and lore could’ve done with a bit of expanding, as I never really felt that enough had been done to steer humanity down this path. And maybe most importantly: I’m not saying that men aren’t assholes. Some of them are, definitely. I’m just saying some people are assholes—there’s no need to be so restrictive about it.
5.5 / 10 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
Curfew takes place in a near-future Britain where women dominate the workforce, police, wealthy, important, and government. Where the gender pay gap is a thing of the past. Where motherhood opens doors rather than closing them. Where women are no longer afraid to walk the streets alone after dark, dress how they like, or have a few too many drinks while out with their friends.
A world where—from 7pm to 7am—all men are tagged and kept under a strict curfew.
But while the Curfew has fixed some problems, it has just exacerbated others.
Sarah is a single mother whose life started anew when her husband Greg was sent to prison for breaking curfew. After three-months inside, Sarah isn’t expecting a warm reunion—and doesn’t want one. If it were up to her, neither she nor her daughter would ever see Greg again. Though her daughter Cass doesn’t see it that way. She misses her father terribly—and blames her mother for his arrest. And she hates living in a world that restricts her best friend, Billy, simply because he’s a boy.
Helen works as a teacher at a local school. Secretly desperate for a baby, she’s applied for a Co-hab certificate for her and her boyfriend, Tom, and is terrified they won’t get it. All her friends hate Tom, but to Helen, he’s the most perfect man in the world.
But nothing is ever perfect, and perfection never lasts. The town is shocked when a woman is found violently murdered in the middle of town. Evidence suggests that she died late at night—long after Curfew came into effect. And yet, is Curfew as foolproof a system as they all think, or has a man somehow managed to trick the system and kill one of their own, again?
—
Women kill in self-defense, or because they have psychiatric problems. Men kill because they can.
—
Curfew was an interesting read for a number of reasons, but there were a fair amount of issues I had with it as well. I’m a little worried that my review will come off as a bit misogynistic, or dismissive of domestic violence, or how some men treat some women. So let me just say up front that domestic violence and crimes committed by men against women are horrible. OBVIOUSLY horrible. What I objected to was the author’s view of how certain laws would completely change the world. Take out the… shall we say “most dangerous predator” in any system, and a new one is going to rise to fill the gap.
First off (and I know how this is going to sound), I found it a bit misandristic (that’s the opposite of misogynistic, FYI). I mean, women being full equal members of society sounds amazing, but then, equality isn’t really equality at all. Now men are treated as second-class citizens. The pay gap swings the other way. Little boys are commonly aborted before birth while girls are seen as an incredible blessing. I would’ve liked to see more on this side of things, but it really wasn’t addressed. A male perspective would’ve helped us see the story from another angle, and perhaps opened up a more interesting debate on the subject. Furthermore, non-binary genders weren’t addressed at all. By itself though, the premise is definitely intriguing: a society that favors the lives of women over men—in opposition to so many of the historical patriarchies and patrilineal kinship systems favored by cultures around the world. Though it’s interesting to see what might’ve happened if a historically patriarchy flipped to a matriarchy, I would’ve liked to see a bit more done on the history of it. As it was there was mention of one particular murder, a few vague references that aren’t well explored—and nothing else. I realize that some crime—particularly violence against women would be down during the 12 hours that men are under curfew—would be down, but it certainly wouldn’t eliminate most crime. Likewise, I think the idea that murder was “a thing of the past” was a bit ridiculous. Because of course, not only men kill people.
The story itself goes along pretty quick. While I got more and more disillusioned by the male characters—well, by most of the characters—the farther we got into it, Curfew was never a very difficult story to read. It flows quite well, and quite quickly. I think that I finished it in a couple of days. But it wasn’t so much the whodunnit that kept me reading, exactly—more on that later.
Throughout the story, we are confronted by several asshole male characters, as well as a few grey-area ones. The further and further we move into the story itself, the less room for interpretation there is. The male characters are one-sided, have no depth, no development, and are either detestable and forgettable. The female characters honestly aren’t that much better—with only a couple showing any sort of depth or growth. The ending is more than a bit bleak, to be honest. The story itself boils down to the conclusion that most men are just evil—an illation that the author doubles-down on come the her post-note, to the point that I wasn’t actually sure whether she believed it or not. Really. It just… it sure sounded like she did. Which is… worrying.
For so much of the text, especially later on, Curfew boils down to an “Us vs. Them” (men vs. women). It is actually quite the motivator in the big reveal, though I won’t reveal how. It’s also something I found stupid—a poor attempt at tying up a loose end. The murder case itself I found to be clumsy. The police aren’t terribly competent. Or professional. For the most part they bumble around trying to pin the murder on one suspect after another, without paying much attention to, like, evidence. They seem convinced that the Curfew is completely infallible—except for one lone officer, Pamela, who’s on the brink of retirement.
My biggest issue with the mystery is with the body itself. The story takes place in two parts: a flashback starting three weeks earlier and including several POVs (which takes up most of the story), and a present day (and intermittent chapter) following a single POV, Pamela. One of the most important aspects of a whodunnit is to not give too much away at any given point. You really want to parcel information out at increments, let the reader guess and try to puzzle it out for themselves. But Curfew provides contrasting information up front, and it all gets a little muddied come the end. Early on a body is discovered, and it’s noted that the fingerprints of the victim don’t match any in their database. The problem is that all the main characters in Curfew (save one) are police, government employees, or teachers—all professions which require fingerprinting. Which meant that the corpse could really only be one person. Only that it couldn’t be that simple. And so by the time the Big Reveal eventually came, I’d been assuming that the author was going to completely ignore the whole fingerprint thing from earlier. It doesn’t count as a plot twist if you just provide false information up front.
Oh—and this is just a note—at one point a detective visits a woman’s cohab flat and judges that a gaming console is out of place in her place and must therefore belong to man. Thus perpetuating the stereotype that women don’t play video games. Which is ridiculous.
TL;DR
Curfew raises many good points about sexual assault, domestic violence, and unequal pay. But so much of it comes across as misandristic that it’s hard for me to fully untangle the two. Honestly, I’m not convinced that the author doesn’t actually believe that most men are evil. The story itself runs along quite nicely, though there are more than a few holes in the plot and hiccups in the story. It’s a fairly quick read, but profoundly disappointed me with the execution of the mystery and the bleakness of the message such that I never felt that I really enjoyed it. The history and lore could’ve done with a bit of expanding, as I never really felt that enough had been done to steer humanity down this path. And maybe most importantly: I’m not saying that men aren’t assholes. Some of them are, definitely. I’m just saying some people are assholes—there’s no need to be so restrictive about it.
April 19, 2023
Stars: 1.5 out of 5.
This is the case where the blurb is more interesting than the actual book. Or where the author had a wonderful idea, but lacked the skill to realize it well. It could have been a wonderful dystopian novel and a great social commentary. Instead, it turned into a frustrating slog that I only finished out of frustration.
As I said, the premise had so much potential - after a wave of violent crimes against women perpetrated by men, a resolution was passed to put all the male population under a curfew from 7pm to 7am each night. And supposedly, things got better for women after that... for 16 years. Until a woman if found clearly murdered in a park overnight, when all men should be indoors. So who killed her?
I got excited to see how this society, where women are effectively in charge, would work. How is the curfew enforced? Are those ankle monitors removable? Can they be fooled? How did men consent to this clear violation of their freedom? I was also looking forward to the murder mystery and the investigation. Unfortunately, the inherent flaws of this book sabotaged my enjoyment in the end.
This book is told in several different POVs, which in itself isn't usually a problem for me. The problem this time is that all of the characters we follow are extremely unlikeable. They are self-centered and react emotionally to anything and everything happening to and around them. What happened to logical thinking? What happened to compassion? This makes this whole women-ran society a nightmarish place to be. Which would be okay if this was a subtitle social commentary about vilifying the other genre and critique of normal genre role. But it's not...
Second problem is that there are no shades of gray in this book. All men, without exceptions, are bad, bad, bad, BAD! Seriously? Being a survivor of abuse myself, I can understand the impulse to vilify those who hurt you, but this is taken to the extreme. What about the fact that the toxic image of masculinity that is so prevalent in the Western countries hurts men just as much as it hurts women? Neither sex is born bad or good, they are made so by their upbringing and their circumstances. It's nature versus nurture.
Also, this world is very binary. So all women are free, and all men are locked up at night (and BAD people thinking/doing bad things). What about gay men? What about gender fluid people? What about trans men and women? How do these rules apply to them? Or do they simply not exist in this world?
The murder investigation itself was also very badly handled in my opinion. This whole mystery of who was the murder victim was dragged out way too long. I would have preferred to discover their identity earlier and then try to find out what events resulted in their murder, than following several people who could be the potential murder victim and guessing who it was. I guess the author wanted to create a connection with the victim by having us following their life before the murder. Well, since all of them were unlikeable, I didn't particularly care.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the case where the blurb is more interesting than the actual book. Or where the author had a wonderful idea, but lacked the skill to realize it well. It could have been a wonderful dystopian novel and a great social commentary. Instead, it turned into a frustrating slog that I only finished out of frustration.
As I said, the premise had so much potential - after a wave of violent crimes against women perpetrated by men, a resolution was passed to put all the male population under a curfew from 7pm to 7am each night. And supposedly, things got better for women after that... for 16 years. Until a woman if found clearly murdered in a park overnight, when all men should be indoors. So who killed her?
I got excited to see how this society, where women are effectively in charge, would work. How is the curfew enforced? Are those ankle monitors removable? Can they be fooled? How did men consent to this clear violation of their freedom? I was also looking forward to the murder mystery and the investigation. Unfortunately, the inherent flaws of this book sabotaged my enjoyment in the end.
This book is told in several different POVs, which in itself isn't usually a problem for me. The problem this time is that all of the characters we follow are extremely unlikeable. They are self-centered and react emotionally to anything and everything happening to and around them. What happened to logical thinking? What happened to compassion? This makes this whole women-ran society a nightmarish place to be. Which would be okay if this was a subtitle social commentary about vilifying the other genre and critique of normal genre role. But it's not...
Second problem is that there are no shades of gray in this book. All men, without exceptions, are bad, bad, bad, BAD! Seriously? Being a survivor of abuse myself, I can understand the impulse to vilify those who hurt you, but this is taken to the extreme. What about the fact that the toxic image of masculinity that is so prevalent in the Western countries hurts men just as much as it hurts women? Neither sex is born bad or good, they are made so by their upbringing and their circumstances. It's nature versus nurture.
Also, this world is very binary. So all women are free, and all men are locked up at night (and BAD people thinking/doing bad things). What about gay men? What about gender fluid people? What about trans men and women? How do these rules apply to them? Or do they simply not exist in this world?
The murder investigation itself was also very badly handled in my opinion. This whole mystery of who was the murder victim was dragged out way too long. I would have preferred to discover their identity earlier and then try to find out what events resulted in their murder, than following several people who could be the potential murder victim and guessing who it was. I guess the author wanted to create a connection with the victim by having us following their life before the murder. Well, since all of them were unlikeable, I didn't particularly care.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2021
Hooo boy, this book will not only keep you on the edge of your seat but it will make you uncontrollably rage into the void. But that's why I LOVED it. When a book can evoke that kind of emotional response in me, credit must be given. I'll cry at the drop of a hat, but to make me want to physically fight a character is pretty next level for my reading experience.
On the opposite end of the rage spectrum, I found myself gleefully wondering just how a curfew would work in our world. It was really interesting to think about how the curfew rules would affect our society but I don't want to spoil anything. Suffice to say, if you liked The Power I think you will thoroughly enjoy Curfew.
On the opposite end of the rage spectrum, I found myself gleefully wondering just how a curfew would work in our world. It was really interesting to think about how the curfew rules would affect our society but I don't want to spoil anything. Suffice to say, if you liked The Power I think you will thoroughly enjoy Curfew.
November 14, 2022
The first thing to say about After Dark is that I was so engrossed in this story, I read almost the whole book in a day.
It’s a high concept crime thriller. Set in a time in the UK where any male over the age of 10 is fitted with an electronic tag and put under curfew between the hours of 7pm and 7am. This follows outrage when women were told to stay indoors for their own safety after the murders of four women some 16 years before and the passing of the Prevention of Femicide Act 2023, (the Curfew Law). Because of the curfew, men are restricted in the work they can do – distance and commute has to be considered, so roles with part time hours, childcare at home, etc are often now male occupations. Women have taken over the jobs of men. I did just have to go along with this idea because if I thought too much about it, I wondered how this would work. Would there be enough women to do the work of men, and not just during curfew hours. What about all the roles currently undertaken by males in so many institutions and industries? The world of relationships has completely changed with government intervention and Co-Hab certificates. The question of gender selection is also touched upon because daughters are favoured as opposed to having boys with the resultant life restrictions that follow.
The story is told from the perspective of three women, Sarah, Helen and Cass together with the senior police detective Pamela one of the team investigating the murder of a woman. Sarah, a tagger, has separated from her husband who is in prison for breaking curfew and both she and her daughter Cass have moved into ‘The Motherhouse’, an all female building where no men are allowed past the gate.
The fact that I found so many of the main characters so unlikeable didn’t matter in the slightest because I was so invested in the story and the outcomes. The only one I really had any time for was Pamela, the soon to retire detective, who struggled to make her voice heard amongst her colleagues. It become clear that Sarah had rather extreme views on men and wouldn’t have won any awards for mother of the year whilst her daughter Cass was a difficult, resentful and rather naïve nearly 18 year old teen. Helen was possibly the least reactionary of the three but seemed extremely gullible.
Until now women have been safe to go about their lives without fear but when a woman’s body is found in a park, it brings into question curfew and who could be responsible. If a man had committed the crime then surely his tag would give him away?
The author’s note at the end confirms that she wrote this in 2019 in the wake of #MeToo and she outlines her own personal reasons for writing such a book. Although the investigation obviously forms part of the story, it also focuses on these three women, their characters and choices and the concept of male tagging. I was kept guessing by the identity of both victim and killer as both are open to suspicion and interpretation until the truth is finally revealed.
I really enjoyed After Dark because it is different from the norm and the background story of female safety is so relevant. The pacing is spot on and I was kept totally interested throughout. It’s such a thought provoking debut that also brings into question political agendas and justice. Definitely recommended. This would make a superb book group choice, as there is so much here for discussion – aided by the book club questions at the back.
It’s a high concept crime thriller. Set in a time in the UK where any male over the age of 10 is fitted with an electronic tag and put under curfew between the hours of 7pm and 7am. This follows outrage when women were told to stay indoors for their own safety after the murders of four women some 16 years before and the passing of the Prevention of Femicide Act 2023, (the Curfew Law). Because of the curfew, men are restricted in the work they can do – distance and commute has to be considered, so roles with part time hours, childcare at home, etc are often now male occupations. Women have taken over the jobs of men. I did just have to go along with this idea because if I thought too much about it, I wondered how this would work. Would there be enough women to do the work of men, and not just during curfew hours. What about all the roles currently undertaken by males in so many institutions and industries? The world of relationships has completely changed with government intervention and Co-Hab certificates. The question of gender selection is also touched upon because daughters are favoured as opposed to having boys with the resultant life restrictions that follow.
The story is told from the perspective of three women, Sarah, Helen and Cass together with the senior police detective Pamela one of the team investigating the murder of a woman. Sarah, a tagger, has separated from her husband who is in prison for breaking curfew and both she and her daughter Cass have moved into ‘The Motherhouse’, an all female building where no men are allowed past the gate.
The fact that I found so many of the main characters so unlikeable didn’t matter in the slightest because I was so invested in the story and the outcomes. The only one I really had any time for was Pamela, the soon to retire detective, who struggled to make her voice heard amongst her colleagues. It become clear that Sarah had rather extreme views on men and wouldn’t have won any awards for mother of the year whilst her daughter Cass was a difficult, resentful and rather naïve nearly 18 year old teen. Helen was possibly the least reactionary of the three but seemed extremely gullible.
Until now women have been safe to go about their lives without fear but when a woman’s body is found in a park, it brings into question curfew and who could be responsible. If a man had committed the crime then surely his tag would give him away?
The author’s note at the end confirms that she wrote this in 2019 in the wake of #MeToo and she outlines her own personal reasons for writing such a book. Although the investigation obviously forms part of the story, it also focuses on these three women, their characters and choices and the concept of male tagging. I was kept guessing by the identity of both victim and killer as both are open to suspicion and interpretation until the truth is finally revealed.
I really enjoyed After Dark because it is different from the norm and the background story of female safety is so relevant. The pacing is spot on and I was kept totally interested throughout. It’s such a thought provoking debut that also brings into question political agendas and justice. Definitely recommended. This would make a superb book group choice, as there is so much here for discussion – aided by the book club questions at the back.
March 18, 2022
In the near future in Britain, the world looks different. After a terrible murder committed by a man, there were some big changes made. Men are now electronically tagged to prevent them from breaking the 7 p.m. curfew. Equality has finally come for women and things are looking up. Sarah is raising her rebellious daughter, Cass on her own since her husband was sent to prison for violating the curfew. She has gotten a job as a tagger and moved them into a female only apartment complex. Cass dislikes the rules for men and makes her views known. Her best friend is Billy, and she knows that he would never hurt anyone. Cass wants to find a way to prove that the tagging system is wrong. Helen is a teacher at a local school who longs for a baby. She is dating a man whom her best friend does not like, but Helen has applied for them to live together. A body is found in the local park. One of these women was murdered during the night, and the evidence suggests that she knew her killer. Officers at the scene wonder how a woman could do such a thing, but one detective believes a man did the deed. The detective, though, will need to find a way to break his alibi—his electronic tag. Curfew by Jayne Cowie has a unique concept with a female dominated society where men are tagged and have a curfew. The story is told through alternating points-of-view (Sarah, Cass, Helen, Pamela, and Mabel). Pamela, a detective, has her story told in the first person. After the body is found in the beginning of Curfew, the story goes back four weeks. We are introduced to each character and get their backstory. The characters came across caricatures instead of a realistic people. This is especially true of Cass who is seventeen and knows everything (sometimes her behavior seemed more appropriate for someone fourteen). Cass’s character was over-the-top and exaggerated. I wanted well-rounded, realistic characters. Only one character grew or developed by the end of the story, but the growth was not all positive. Most of the women view men as not to be trusted. There are no likeable male characters in the story. The murder is very simple and can easily be solved long before the reveal. The book started out strong with the murder, but I soon found myself bored. I found Curfew to be predictable and the viewpoint too skewed. The man-hating became tiresome after a couple of chapters. Curfew does contain foul language, violence, and intimate situations. By the end of Curfew, I had to wonder if the writer liked men at all. Curfew had a good blurb, but it ended up being a dud.
April 16, 2022
Curfew is being touted as opposite of The Handmaid’s Tale and that fits.
In Curfew, it’s the men who get the grotesque treatment where they wear ankle tags and must be home and locked in their homes by 7 PM every night. This law came about because of the violence committed by men towards women, usually after dark.
When I first went into this book, I really liked the premise. What I didn’t like were the characters. Especially the teenager, Cass’s POV. I hated the choices made by the women. Cass’s constant hatred of her mother and hero worship of her father mostly because her mother refused to tell Cass the truth. Why not?
The story’s message is that ALL men are bad and deserve to be locked up. From the author’s note, this stems from having a f’d up childhood with a severely violent father. (I am truly sorry for the world she came from.) I come from a very good childhood and a good, non-violent father, and raised the same type of son. I know absolutely NO men as is described in the book. With that said, even though I typically read books opposite from my own life, I really hated the message in this one. “All men are evil.” I think it would have been different if this was pure fiction. But the author seems to truly believe this and that’s what I had the problem with.
*Thank you to Berkley/Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the advance copy.*
In Curfew, it’s the men who get the grotesque treatment where they wear ankle tags and must be home and locked in their homes by 7 PM every night. This law came about because of the violence committed by men towards women, usually after dark.
When I first went into this book, I really liked the premise. What I didn’t like were the characters. Especially the teenager, Cass’s POV. I hated the choices made by the women. Cass’s constant hatred of her mother and hero worship of her father mostly because her mother refused to tell Cass the truth. Why not?
The story’s message is that ALL men are bad and deserve to be locked up. From the author’s note, this stems from having a f’d up childhood with a severely violent father. (I am truly sorry for the world she came from.) I come from a very good childhood and a good, non-violent father, and raised the same type of son. I know absolutely NO men as is described in the book. With that said, even though I typically read books opposite from my own life, I really hated the message in this one. “All men are evil.” I think it would have been different if this was pure fiction. But the author seems to truly believe this and that’s what I had the problem with.
*Thank you to Berkley/Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the advance copy.*
October 3, 2021
A cleanly written and intriguing mystery set in a Britain where men are tagged and confined inside from 7pm to 7am each day. The novel opens as a body is found, and first-person detective Pamela, on the verge of retirement, plans for the case to be one of her last. Throughout the book, we don't know which of the characters will be the one found dead until near the end. We meet Sarah, a tagger whose husband is in prison for breaking Curfew; Cass, Sarah's daughter, who is rebellious and misses her father; and Helen, who teaches a Curfew class at Cass's school. While there were questions I really wanted to know the answers to - for instance, what would happen to nonbinary folks - it's a fairly deep exploration of how a society like this would operate, as well as the all-too-human flaws that can simmer and simmer before exploding. I already know I need to recommend this to my coworker who loves books like this. I'd also recommend to those who enjoyed Christina Dalcher's Vox.
January 8, 2022
This was one of my favorite reads of 2021! I loved the dystopian setting, the murder mystery, and the character POVs!
We are transported to a country where laws have been passed to keep women safe. Men are required to wear tracking devices on their ankles, and they have curfews. Being tracked or caught outside comes with jailtime. This means men cannot have jobs that would require them to be out after curfew. They can’t have long commutes, and many end up being the homemaker while the wife or girlfriend works. This law is only in one country, and so some people have chosen to move while so many choose to stay. I thought it was an interesting dynamic for the story to have an option to not live under the rules and regulations.
The story is told through multiple POVs and through a past and present timeline. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs. It helped to unravel the murder mystery in small pieces, and it was like being given delicious crumbs, and I couldn’t wait to find the whole cookie!
This is a murder mystery story first and foremost, and it’s a great story. We know there is a body, but we don’t know who it is. We begin to have ideas of who might have been killed, but the story really leaves you guessing until the big reveal.
The backstory on the curfew for men was due to the rising violence towards women. I liked that this premise brought about this concept for the author. There is an afterword with some interesting comments from the author that I recommend you read!
Overall, I loved this book, and I didn’t want to put it down. If you enjoy murder mysteries with a police procedural feel, you’ll enjoy this one!
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
We are transported to a country where laws have been passed to keep women safe. Men are required to wear tracking devices on their ankles, and they have curfews. Being tracked or caught outside comes with jailtime. This means men cannot have jobs that would require them to be out after curfew. They can’t have long commutes, and many end up being the homemaker while the wife or girlfriend works. This law is only in one country, and so some people have chosen to move while so many choose to stay. I thought it was an interesting dynamic for the story to have an option to not live under the rules and regulations.
The story is told through multiple POVs and through a past and present timeline. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs. It helped to unravel the murder mystery in small pieces, and it was like being given delicious crumbs, and I couldn’t wait to find the whole cookie!
This is a murder mystery story first and foremost, and it’s a great story. We know there is a body, but we don’t know who it is. We begin to have ideas of who might have been killed, but the story really leaves you guessing until the big reveal.
The backstory on the curfew for men was due to the rising violence towards women. I liked that this premise brought about this concept for the author. There is an afterword with some interesting comments from the author that I recommend you read!
Overall, I loved this book, and I didn’t want to put it down. If you enjoy murder mysteries with a police procedural feel, you’ll enjoy this one!
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
September 12, 2024
Once again, I got engaged by an exciting blurb and let down by a disappointing novel.
In the world created by Jayne Cowie, women hold all the power and men live under strict rules, including being electronically tagged and having a 7pm curfew. Women feel safer and they get to walk home without a worry of anything dangerous happening to them. That is until a woman is found murdered in the early hours of the morning. But surely the murderer couldn’t have been a man if he was tagged and home by 7?
I’m sorry to say that Cowie’s characters are incredibly unlikeable, and there’s no evidence of any growth or development as the novel went on. In fact, I’d even go as far as saying that what came across, was that the writer has an intense hatred for all men.
I found the storyline incredibly predictable, and there was nothing really keeping me engaged as I ploughed through. I think it had so much potential, but it’s as if she hasn’t taken the time to deepen the world she created, and it leaves the readers with so many unanswered questions.
I’m afraid to say it was a chore to read and I was left very unsatisfied.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this novel in exchange for an honest review.
In the world created by Jayne Cowie, women hold all the power and men live under strict rules, including being electronically tagged and having a 7pm curfew. Women feel safer and they get to walk home without a worry of anything dangerous happening to them. That is until a woman is found murdered in the early hours of the morning. But surely the murderer couldn’t have been a man if he was tagged and home by 7?
I’m sorry to say that Cowie’s characters are incredibly unlikeable, and there’s no evidence of any growth or development as the novel went on. In fact, I’d even go as far as saying that what came across, was that the writer has an intense hatred for all men.
I found the storyline incredibly predictable, and there was nothing really keeping me engaged as I ploughed through. I think it had so much potential, but it’s as if she hasn’t taken the time to deepen the world she created, and it leaves the readers with so many unanswered questions.
I’m afraid to say it was a chore to read and I was left very unsatisfied.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this novel in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2021
Okay conceptually, but the characters and thier motivations read as so simplified it almost feels like a caricature.
March 26, 2022
This was a very fascinating read!
The reviews were mixed which I don't know why I look at reviews but I don't think it's man hating per se. Not too long ago women were the property of their fathers or husbands, they couldn't vote, and they couldn't do all sorts of things without their husbands signing for it.
It's not a far stretch for it to be in this direction but the punishment for being outside your own house at curfew was very strict.
We didn't even know who the murder victim was until the end and to be honest it could have been 1 of 4 women lol. They were all getting into something.
As violent as things are in our world resorting to a minority report type society were you punish everyone or restrict access to a certain group cause they are more likely to commit a certain crime is still not the way to go. But I swear there's no solution. We aren't more sensitive now we are just finally finding our voice. We are not pieces of ass that can be used and tossed out or whistled at or mistreated. Right it's not every guy but it's enough guys.
I will say there really wasn't a example of a good guy in this book except maybe Billy since they were all pretty much under house arrest and feeling oppressed but that one guy... Yikes.
Totally wasn't expecting that ending but I didn't like what caused that outcome to begin with. There was no consideration for the other party and they shouldn't have killed them but that was a huge decision made alone without any discussion.
BTW you can still work 50+ hours a week and still be a Mom I'm doing it now. It's a struggle but I'm surviving.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐💫
Thank you Berkley and Net Galley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.
The reviews were mixed which I don't know why I look at reviews but I don't think it's man hating per se. Not too long ago women were the property of their fathers or husbands, they couldn't vote, and they couldn't do all sorts of things without their husbands signing for it.
It's not a far stretch for it to be in this direction but the punishment for being outside your own house at curfew was very strict.
We didn't even know who the murder victim was until the end and to be honest it could have been 1 of 4 women lol. They were all getting into something.
As violent as things are in our world resorting to a minority report type society were you punish everyone or restrict access to a certain group cause they are more likely to commit a certain crime is still not the way to go. But I swear there's no solution. We aren't more sensitive now we are just finally finding our voice. We are not pieces of ass that can be used and tossed out or whistled at or mistreated. Right it's not every guy but it's enough guys.
I will say there really wasn't a example of a good guy in this book except maybe Billy since they were all pretty much under house arrest and feeling oppressed but that one guy... Yikes.
Totally wasn't expecting that ending but I didn't like what caused that outcome to begin with. There was no consideration for the other party and they shouldn't have killed them but that was a huge decision made alone without any discussion.
BTW you can still work 50+ hours a week and still be a Mom I'm doing it now. It's a struggle but I'm surviving.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐💫
Thank you Berkley and Net Galley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.
April 16, 2022
I made an account just to talk about how awful this book is. If you haven't read it yet, I would recommend buying a version in a language you can't read, so that you might be spared this awful experience. I'd like to preface this by saying I spent the first 20 years of my life as a woman so I think I've earned the right to say the message this novel sends to girls is horrific, untrue, and honestly feels more anti-feminist than anything I've ever read before.
Every man in this story is a piece of shit, and every woman kind or hopeful or naive enough to believe otherwise is mocked or assaulted until she learns the truth. It isn't even a particularly feminist take on things; women need men tagged because they're all delicate waifs who must be protected from violent unpredictable men, and anyone who dares voice an opinion like "maybe women should get to make their own decisions, maybe not all women are good and not all men are evil" is treated like she's hysterical and stupid for thinking the best of people. It's hard to like any of the characters because they're all shallow, underdeveloped, and are only defined by their opinions on men rather than an actual personality. But it's hard to hate them too, because none of their feelings matter and the only thing that stays constant is that men are going to hurt them. All character development is defined by how they finally realise they're helpless and need to get rid of the men in their lives.
And good God, the relationship between Cass and her mother is disgusting. Sarah belittles and patronises her daughter at every turn, and when Cass understandably lashes out, Sarah's actions are excused because she's stressed out about killing a man and because of her husband (who she fails to tell Cass anything about, making Cass look like an ungrateful idiot when she finds out he isn't that great, and making her mother seem like a tortured martyr), and she never faces consequences for dismissing Cass' life and interests. All of this is fixed immediately when both of them are sufficiently terrified and abused, because there is nothing that connects women except for the fact all of them must stick together to defend themselves against the constant threat of men. The big secret about why her husband is terrible, the one she must hide from her daughter at all cost? He cheated. A loathsome thing to do yes, but she gets him arrested for it, cuts him off from his daughter, and eventually hits him with a car. They hurt eachother equally, and only Greg gets punished for it because he's a man and she's just protecting herself. Cass also psychologically torments her supposed "best friend" Billy by removing his tag without his permission, and refusing to put it back, despite personally knowing the life ruining consequences he would face if anyone found him breaking curfew. Billy - forced to break the law at risk of his own safety, living with neglectful and uncaring parents, and destined for pseudo house arrest for the rest of his life like every other man - is described at the end of the novel with the line "His concerns were still very small." So like mother like daughter, I guess.
Another thing that kills me is Helen. Planning to coerce your boyfriend into having children with you, lying about your contraception, and not even telling him you got pregnant and subsequently had an abortion is completely insane and reprehensible behaviour. She is not punished for any of this, and her unrelated death clears her of any guilt because it proves her boyfriend was always evil and violent and so that means everything she did was just fine. Let me be clear, it was entirely within her rights to get an abortion, but the deception and manipulation surrounding it was genuinely disturbing to read and to see shrugged off by the narrative.
This story goes nowhere. It creates a dystopian society that oppresses men, and spends the entire book justifying that society by infantalising women and demonising men. It does not break boundaries, it does not make you question the patriarchy or your own place in enforcing gender roles, it simply says that women are gentle, vulnerable creatures, who must keep men in their place no matter what it takes. It ignores real women's relationships; people who truly have loving connections with their husbands or sons or fathers, and treats men as a tyrannical monolith that these brave wounded girls must overcome and free themselves from. It celebrates the unbalanced world it has created and ends with the decision to move further, to increase gender based restrictions because haven't these stories shown proved that you just can't trust men? You've sat through a few hundred pages of women dying and suffering and fighting back by trampling everyone else down, don't you agree that this is how it should be? Women can't protect themselves, women can't rely on people who are different to them, women can't do anything unless half the population is locked up. What a cruel goddamn joke.
Every man in this story is a piece of shit, and every woman kind or hopeful or naive enough to believe otherwise is mocked or assaulted until she learns the truth. It isn't even a particularly feminist take on things; women need men tagged because they're all delicate waifs who must be protected from violent unpredictable men, and anyone who dares voice an opinion like "maybe women should get to make their own decisions, maybe not all women are good and not all men are evil" is treated like she's hysterical and stupid for thinking the best of people. It's hard to like any of the characters because they're all shallow, underdeveloped, and are only defined by their opinions on men rather than an actual personality. But it's hard to hate them too, because none of their feelings matter and the only thing that stays constant is that men are going to hurt them. All character development is defined by how they finally realise they're helpless and need to get rid of the men in their lives.
And good God, the relationship between Cass and her mother is disgusting. Sarah belittles and patronises her daughter at every turn, and when Cass understandably lashes out, Sarah's actions are excused because she's stressed out about killing a man and because of her husband (who she fails to tell Cass anything about, making Cass look like an ungrateful idiot when she finds out he isn't that great, and making her mother seem like a tortured martyr), and she never faces consequences for dismissing Cass' life and interests. All of this is fixed immediately when both of them are sufficiently terrified and abused, because there is nothing that connects women except for the fact all of them must stick together to defend themselves against the constant threat of men. The big secret about why her husband is terrible, the one she must hide from her daughter at all cost? He cheated. A loathsome thing to do yes, but she gets him arrested for it, cuts him off from his daughter, and eventually hits him with a car. They hurt eachother equally, and only Greg gets punished for it because he's a man and she's just protecting herself. Cass also psychologically torments her supposed "best friend" Billy by removing his tag without his permission, and refusing to put it back, despite personally knowing the life ruining consequences he would face if anyone found him breaking curfew. Billy - forced to break the law at risk of his own safety, living with neglectful and uncaring parents, and destined for pseudo house arrest for the rest of his life like every other man - is described at the end of the novel with the line "His concerns were still very small." So like mother like daughter, I guess.
Another thing that kills me is Helen. Planning to coerce your boyfriend into having children with you, lying about your contraception, and not even telling him you got pregnant and subsequently had an abortion is completely insane and reprehensible behaviour. She is not punished for any of this, and her unrelated death clears her of any guilt because it proves her boyfriend was always evil and violent and so that means everything she did was just fine. Let me be clear, it was entirely within her rights to get an abortion, but the deception and manipulation surrounding it was genuinely disturbing to read and to see shrugged off by the narrative.
This story goes nowhere. It creates a dystopian society that oppresses men, and spends the entire book justifying that society by infantalising women and demonising men. It does not break boundaries, it does not make you question the patriarchy or your own place in enforcing gender roles, it simply says that women are gentle, vulnerable creatures, who must keep men in their place no matter what it takes. It ignores real women's relationships; people who truly have loving connections with their husbands or sons or fathers, and treats men as a tyrannical monolith that these brave wounded girls must overcome and free themselves from. It celebrates the unbalanced world it has created and ends with the decision to move further, to increase gender based restrictions because haven't these stories shown proved that you just can't trust men? You've sat through a few hundred pages of women dying and suffering and fighting back by trampling everyone else down, don't you agree that this is how it should be? Women can't protect themselves, women can't rely on people who are different to them, women can't do anything unless half the population is locked up. What a cruel goddamn joke.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2022
A world where violence does not seem to exist anymore and where women are in charge for anything.
This story takes place in a Britain where men are locked away during the night, since most violent crime take place around this time. All of their moves and their actions are tracked every minute of the day. So there is no violence anymore.
Until one day a woman is violently murdered. But who could have done this, if men are not allowed to leave their homes??
So obviously it is about the women to find this out!
I really enjoy distopian thrillers like that and highly recommend it to anybody who does as well!
Thanks #NetGalley #Random House UK, Cornerstone, Penguin for this ARC
This story takes place in a Britain where men are locked away during the night, since most violent crime take place around this time. All of their moves and their actions are tracked every minute of the day. So there is no violence anymore.
Until one day a woman is violently murdered. But who could have done this, if men are not allowed to leave their homes??
So obviously it is about the women to find this out!
I really enjoy distopian thrillers like that and highly recommend it to anybody who does as well!
Thanks #NetGalley #Random House UK, Cornerstone, Penguin for this ARC
April 20, 2022
This is a very quick read otherwise I might not have got through it. There is a good premise here, set in a future where men have a curfew, controlled by tags, to cut down on violence and murders rather than the current attitude of telling women to stay at home, dress a certain way and, in short, have to take responsibility for the behaviour of men. It is right that women shouldn't have to curb their lives because of the danger they may face simply walking home. The Sarah Everad case may have triggered this novel and I'm not criticising the author for wanting to cover this important issue.
However, I had several issues with the book. The characters, first of all, are pretty unlikeable and one dimensional. The women are all basically man haters, except one but she turns out to be driven more by her obsession with having a child - but it has to be a daughter because why would she want a boy if they have to wear a tag by the time they are 10 and have no prospects of a decent job? I get the parallels with some cultures not wanting girls because a boy is more valuable but it's just so heavy handed.
Secondly, the vast numbers of violent crimes against women are committed in the home by partners. How would a curfew stop that and what would stop a man simply carrying out a crime earlier in the day?
Add to that the tired old cliche of the boss who doesn't care about justice but just wants to make sure that a man isn't charged as the whole curfew system would have to be scrapped because of one failure. The surly teenager who hates her mum because, of course, she got her dad locked up for breaking curfew. This means that not only is her dad a saint but all women must be partly to blame if their partner turns violent.
I actually felt uncomfortable reading this book because I just got the impression that the author really does hate all men which is quite sad.
However, I had several issues with the book. The characters, first of all, are pretty unlikeable and one dimensional. The women are all basically man haters, except one but she turns out to be driven more by her obsession with having a child - but it has to be a daughter because why would she want a boy if they have to wear a tag by the time they are 10 and have no prospects of a decent job? I get the parallels with some cultures not wanting girls because a boy is more valuable but it's just so heavy handed.
Secondly, the vast numbers of violent crimes against women are committed in the home by partners. How would a curfew stop that and what would stop a man simply carrying out a crime earlier in the day?
Add to that the tired old cliche of the boss who doesn't care about justice but just wants to make sure that a man isn't charged as the whole curfew system would have to be scrapped because of one failure. The surly teenager who hates her mum because, of course, she got her dad locked up for breaking curfew. This means that not only is her dad a saint but all women must be partly to blame if their partner turns violent.
I actually felt uncomfortable reading this book because I just got the impression that the author really does hate all men which is quite sad.
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