A review by saint_eleanor
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This was a really beautiful book it was so alien, I would definitely put it in the science fiction category even though we don't have much evidence for that. It's so disturbing due to the lack of details and those that are slowly revealed. I definitely wanted to know more about what was happening but I know that the point is to marinate in the unknown. 🙄 'I'm dying of a poisoned womb, I who have never known men' is craaaazy
also the idea that apathy can be a result of growing up in isolation, that the MC didn't fear death or killing

I also think the author did an amazing job forcing the reader to examine themselves, I kept catching  myself being like 'oh I hope they find civilization' and then realizing that they are civilization and what I really felt was I hope they find men. Like why doesn't a group of 50 women constitute "people" ??? I think it really exposes our biological biases, that  feeling 'last' (can't have offspring) is the same as feeling alone, but why?