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Book Review of When She Woke

When She Woke
reviewed on + 1440 more book reviews


Sometimes you don't know whether or not you like a book until you reach the last few pages. This book was like that for me. After I read Mudbound, I was so delighted by Jordan's writing that I decided to read this dystopian thriller. So different from Mudbound, it is almost as good and I think this young writer is one to watch.

Living in a world where dedication to God and the rules are dictated by the church, Hannah finds herself seduced by a well known and popular minister who is married. Not only is it a sin but it's a crime and because she loves him so much she has an abortion which is considered murder. Of course, she is captured and is then injected with a red color which identifies the type of crime she committed to society. It's called chroming. She has refused to identify her lover or the abortion doctor who was so kind to her.

After her humiliating stay in a cell which is broadcast to all who wish to see, Hannah's father takes her to a rehabilitation facility. The stay is not what it is advertised to be. It is demeaning and destructive to the emotions and self-worth of those who live there. When Hannah objects to what is said about a friend who has left of her own free will she, too, decides to leave. On the outside they search for a place to live. Hannah's lover has given her $100,000 to help her. She resents his generosity even though she needs the money.

Her troubles are just beginning. Can she find her friend, Kayla? Can she survive on the outside? After her encounter with The Fist, a militaristic church group determined to stamp out any blots to society, she has her doubts. She is rescued from The Fist by a group whose goal is to help women who have abortions. The fear, the terror, and the violence to those like her continues. Can Hannah escape? Can she live a normal life? To do so, she must reach Canada where the chroming process can be reversed.