At the outset, it's obvious that Levin is just recycling the ideas he had from Rosemary's Baby. The constant gaslighting. The usage of a hero vs a dystopian patriarchy. And the genre elements that are supposed to elevate the material.

The problem is that unlike the previous book, this one isn't compelling as a drama (or even a satire). There's no investigation of a mystery until far too late. The humor is bad. The suspense doesn't exist until nearly the end. And the downer ending leaves you with more intellectual questions and emotional ennui.

It could've been something: an examination of first wave feminism, modern approaches to gaslighting, and the stifling oppression of suburbia. Instead it is a massive miss, full of potential.

Avoid. ( )

Pretty slow and boring for the majority of it. Picked up in the last 30 pages. Very blatant but not terrible. ( )

Good, short classic read. ( )

Low pick. The pacing is a bit weird and the writing didn’t wow me. Also, its cultural relevance has diminished the twist (I’ve not seen the films and I still knew what was going on). Nonetheless, I felt it still had thematic potency, reflecting the lengths that some white, cis-het men in particular will go to in order to gain or maintain power. I found it quite bleak in that respect, particularly with the way it ended. A cautionary tale for sure. ( )

Horrifying and still relevant today, sadly. I had seen the movie so I knew what to expect, but damn does this book go from 0 to 100 towards the end real fast. ( )