An intense novel, boarding too closely to reality. Dystopic novels use the ten percent rule. Give a person only ten percent reality, and then you can twist the remaining 90% any way you wish. That is what Christina Dalcher has done. She shows us a ten percent window of what is going on now -- food shelves emptying, financial decline, social media under government control, community chaos, jobs taken from one and given to another, and boom, the line is baited. Enter a charismatic leader flaunting a misandrist utopia where those who need a new path will quickly jump aboard. But with all utopia’s, there is a darker side; this is where the author shines.

I’ve enjoyed her previous books, Vox and Masterclass, and I knew I was in for a wild ride; I was not disappointed. Like her previous novels, this will stay with me for a while. The ten percent rule opens the door just wide enough to imagine the all too real possibilities.

Anyone who says the female is the weaker of the species hasn’t read <I>Femlandia</i>.!

Imagine a place built by women for women, a place where you can escape whatever male induced problem you have and live peacefully with likeminded women. A place where you are safe and secure from the apocalyptic conditions created by men tucked away behind locked gates … locked, guarded gates …. Locked guarded and electrified fence… but is that there to keep men out, or the women in?

A story of power, struggle, feminism, loss, grief, cult like behavior, as well as how women can be every bit as cruel and imprisoning as the men they leave behind

A well earned 3 out of 5 stars for this slow burn and creative tale.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the electronic ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Femlandia was eerie, dark, yet hopeful, and for me, Christina Dalcher’s best book yet! This world is messed up, but the world within the world is even more bananas! I have seen some reviews that say that this book’s premise is similar than the author’s other books, and yeah, that is true! But for me, that isn’t a bad thing at all, quite the opposite.

Like her prior novels, Femlandia is chock full of strong and complex female characters who are constantly being tested by life. In Miranda, the main character, we find a mother just trying to get by in a really bad situation. She’s trying to keep her daughter and herself safe while the world around them collapses into turmoil. After they’re assaulted and have nowhere else to turn, they are forced to seek refuge in the community (read: cult) that Miranda’s mother Win founded, the titular Femlandia.

Miranda has some serious reservations about going there, as she doesn’t really believe in what they stand for. She doesn’t think that every single man is Satan incarnate, and is worried that there is way more to Femlandia than meets the eye. She’s right, of course, which she finds out basically from the minute they walk in. But again, no good choices.

The book is incredibly thought-provoking, and full of exciting and horrifying twists. I was downright shocked at a lot of what goes on in Femlandia, and was constantly on the edge of my seat, not knowing what kind of madness awaited our characters. Full warning though, it is super dark, and while I couldn’t find an official trigger warning to include, there is a ton of abuse, including child abuse.

I also wanted to briefly address something else I saw a lot of discussion about in reviews, which is that Femlandia (the cult, not the book) seems pretty TERF-y. And it does, it is! But it seemed to me that both the author and the main character were not okay with that concept. Again, this is just my interpretation, but it seemed to me like it was presented as one of the (many, frankly) terrible things about Femlandia.

Bottom Line: Dark and twisty, but with definite glimmers of hope, I found Femlandia compulsively readable and unputdownable.

I liked Vox and I think about that book often, but I literally felt like I just read the exact same thing. Okay, maybe not the same thing, but not far from it. I feel like the author was trying to get the exact same message across, with just slightly different characters. I feel like Vox was a strong enough book on this topic that another book so similar made it redundant? I'm not sure...maybe it's just my feelings. I went into this book understanding that yes, it had similar vibes. I'm leaving with being shocked at HOW similar these two books really were. I think this book had way more intense characters. This book is not for the faint of heart as the characters just come off as really intense in their actions and dialogue. I'd stick with reading Vox instead.

This novel takes the feminist view to the extreme.

Imagine a world where civilization has broken down. Women are in short supply but high demand. Set way back in the Virginia hills is a locked down compound for women by women …. Like minded women broken free from bad marriages, abuse, and general misogyny in general. Women so against living within these confines, that they even change the spelling of women to “womyn” because who wants men in the word right? 😂

Though the first half of the book was a bit slow, once rolling, the ending was a fast and fun read. There were a bunch of “triggers” in this book including references to rape, child abuse, spousal abuse, domestic violence in general, as well as some situations that one might feel “uncomfortable” reading.

I gave this a 3 out of 5 star rating, as I liked the book… I just didn’t fall in love with it. Perfect for fans of books with feminist themes, communal living, outdoor/ primal living, break down of society novels, or anyone who enjoys a story about how the hatred of men and inequality is passed down and even fostered and bolstered within family lines. A great showing of how while seeing how life would be without men, you get an even closer and more visceral look at just how brutal women can be too.

Thank you so much to #NetGalley, the publisher, as well as the author, Christina Dalcher, for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

It is incredibly difficult to write my honest thoughts and feelings on this book without including spoilers so this will be brief.
I was extremely excited by the premise and was in the mood for a great dystopian novel. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Miranda’s character was either one who cared for children in need or one willing to leave a starving child on the side of the road? Which one is it? Emma enters Femlandia and becomes a completely different person with no build up or explanation. As for Femlandia, it started off with a transphobic comment. I kept reading because I thought perhaps it would get circled back to and resolved, but no, it was just a completely unnecessary comment that added nothing whatsoever to the story, unless the author was trying to make me feel sick – in which case, mission accomplished. There were also a lot of contradictions in what the founders of Femlandia believed in.
There was a lot of promise, I just don’t think it was executed well.

Holy shit folks - Christina Dalcher has done it once again. She wrote a book that made me angry, sad, scared and made me use my damn brain. I cannot say enough positive things about her writing and her style in general. Steeped in a mothers love in all her books - they diverge onto different paths, feminism, equality, sometimes even diverging to misandry.

I hope Dalcher never stops writing. She is brilliant and unlike almost anyone I’ve read before.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Miranda broke with her mother Win years ago but now as the world falls apart, she sets off wit her daughter Emma to the colony of women- Femlandia- her mother founded in the Virginia countryside. It's a harrowing trek (those who live in the DC area will recognize her neighborhood and the route). What she finds is frightening in a way she did not expect. The women seem to be thriving, growing their own food etc, and they are having babies, despite the fact that there are no men. All girl babies. Her old nemesis, Jen, is running the place and she doesn't brook dissent or questions. But Miranda needs to know the truth. There can't really be a world entirely without men, can there? I'm a fan of Dalcher's work for her thoughtful approach to her subject as well as her storytelling style. She makes the reader think. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A great read.

With the collapse of the US economy and suicide of her husband, Miranda sees joining the womyn only colony started by her mother as the only way for her and her daughter, Emma, to survive. Originally set up as a refuge for woman fleeing abusive relationships, what her mother and her partner Jen have created is not at all the utopia it purports to be. As with all Christina Dalcher's previous books, the darkness of this dystopian story will have to thinking long after you finish reading.

Miranda always thought she would rather die than to have any thing to do with her moms all female camps. But when the world goes into another depression and when it means life and death for her and her daughter she gives in and goes, how bad can it be her mom is now dead and the camps are run by her quasi-adoptive sister the one that bought into everything her mom had to say in the herstory.

This is another thought provoking book by Christina Dalcher. It has a very interesting premise and some action, but it has tons of suspense and twists and turns galore as you find out no matter how odd all these thoughts are Miranda's mom has really thought of everything. I love Dalcher's books as they always make you think and there is always a chance these things could happen.


This review will appear on my blog on Oct 19th

A cataclysmic banking crisis has disrupted Life As We Know It and Miranda and daughter Emma are struggling to survive. After examining all possible options, Miranda decides the best idea is to head for a place she'd vowed never to visit: the colony/settlement of Femlandia. Femlandia is a womyn only place, absolutely no men allowed. Women with troubled pasts and struggling with life join, heal and stay. But the founder Win Somers and her partner Jen not only want to have a safe place, they founded the Femlandia communities based on active misandry and have kept infusing that hatred into the womyn who join. But that's not Miranda's philosophy, and she actively separated from Win, her mother, years before... yet now she needs her help. It's not a spoiler to say that adding Miranda to Femlandia will change everything.

Readers may find either Win or Miranda's philosophy difficult to deal with, while the idea of a Femlandia reminded me of the many womyn I knew in college 30-40 years ago. Enough said about that.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

Okay, for starters, let me make something clear. I read this as a nonbinary/femme in a female-led relationship. I firmly believe in the principles of female domination and female leadership, and I believe a community by women for women could be wonderful place. You'd think I'm the perfect audience for this.

That said, I struggled with the fact that every single man we meet in the first third of the book is a monster or a creep. To a man, they're violent and cruel and selfish, either animal-like rapists and murders or cowardly suicides, the very worst examples of their gender.

At the same time, I was getting a really bad feeling about these Femlandia communes, misogynistic sanctuaries by man-hating women for man-hating women. I'm not saying it's the author's bias or opinion, as I know nothing about her, but Femlanida itself is super TERF-y.

"Sister Jen has a strong preference against anything with a dick."

"I need to satisfy myself that you were always a woman."

"They can identify as a fucking hedgehog for all I care. I'm talking about what they are. Not what they think they are or what they want to be."

That was at 34%, and that's where I gave up. I'm sure there's twists to come, revelations that may define some kind of theme or meaning, but either this is either a celebration of the kind of TERFs I want nothing to do with, or a condemnation of feminism itself, which is hardly more appealing.

If I gave a damn about a single character, I might have kept reading . . . but given how little I enjoyed this, I doubt it.

Despite whipping through the first 2/3 or so of this book, ultimately the reveals were way too horrifying and disturbing to be a book I'm going to be comfortable recommending. I think even readers who have enjoyed this author in the past (as I have) will be divided on this one.

Miranda and her teenage daughter Emma are forced to flee to the only safe place left after another Great Depression destroys the United States' economy. The only thing is that this safe place is a feminist colony created by her mother whom Miranda fell out with years ago. When Miranda and Emma finally make it to Femlandia, they are met with skepticism. Emma, who experienced a traumatic event on the trip, attaches herself to Miranda's adopted sister Jen who runs the colony. Miranda feels like Emma is being taken away from her especially when she discovers that Emma is pregnant. Things don't feel right to Miranda, so she does a little snooping. What she finds changes everything she thought about Femlandia and her mother.

I was really excited to see the approval for this book come through, and I couldn't wait to get into it. Another twisted dystopian about feminism? Count me in! However, as I kept reading, this just didn't grab me the way I wanted, and it was so sinister that it made me almost uncomfortable. In the end, I put it down unfinished and decided to walk way from it. Another read where my expectations got in the way of my ability to finish the novel.

I do not know why I torture myself reading these dystopian novels in this day and age. What would have seemed like a good idea for a sci fi story a few years ago, now seems like a foreboding tale. With all that aside, this was a really interesting read with very problematic characters. As a Black women reading this, I cannot say that I could truly identify with any of them. I'm also not really sure if this story isn't supposed to make feminists look bad while simultaneously acknowledging the harm that men do but still giving them grace.
a good thing though, is that this has really piqued my interest about communes that are off the grid. I know little to nothing about them other than the extreme cases that ended in tragedy in real life.
With that being said, Miranda starts out as an ok character. She is making hard choices and doing what needs to be done to protect her daughter. My problem with her is lack of anger for her s&%t bag of a husband and her hatred and deep loathing for her mother. I also hate that her mom is an extremist disguised as a feminist. Watching the narrative unfold as both Miranda and Win's stories converged to bring us to the present , I was sure that at some point there would be a reconciliation or something similar based on both stories. Unfortunately, I couldn't help but to notice the complete lack of empathy in both women. As a feminist this story painted a very ugly picture of feminism.
If I was reading an actual book and not my Kindle, I would have thrown it at this part, "Nick had his faults, more than I can count. He lied about things, but I think he lied because he was too proud to tell it like it was. He had a vision of himself, of all men, I think, and that vision didn’t allow for setbacks or weakness. It was one thing for women to get knocked down, but men were expected to stand tall no matter what. He saw us as fundamentally different, not stitched from the same cloth. Nick was the protector; I was the one to be protected." Girl!! He was a big part of the reason that the economy destabilized and society broke down!! Sis!! Open your eyes!!
Then there was Emma. Omg! I mean come on!! Literally ditched her mother as soon as she could. Again, as a Black mom and a daughter, I found this utterly shocking and maddening.
If nothing else this book gives you something to talk about because it twisted in a very dark and unexpected way. The overall idea of the book had potential hut ultimately the choices for the dynamic between the main character and her mother, and the in inability for the main character to truly realize her husband was trash
ruined it for me.

A dystopian novel full of twists, turns and uncomfortable questions describes Christina Dalcher’s new book. The situations and issues portrayed lead us to contemplate not only issues of gender roles but of humanity and morals. More gruesome and graphic than her debut, this novel packs a punch and does not let up while constantly asking, “What would you do?” A page turner and a must read!

I finished Femlandia by Christina Dalcher about a week ago, and it’s taken me that long to organize my thoughts about it. The subject matter is dark and extremely infuriating, so buckle up. This is one twisted ride.
It is the very near future. The economy has collapsed, and the government won’t be far behind it. People are killing each other over scarce resources. The ones who can’t see a way out are killing themselves. Pregnant Miranda and her sixteen-year-old daughter Emma are on the move. It’s too dangerous for them to stay in the city, so they set off on foot for the last place Miranda ever thought she would seek refuge—her estranged mother’s completely self-sufficient feminist commune called Femlandia. When the two arrive, they are welcomed with open arms, but things in this so-called utopia are not as they seem. It’s not long before Miranda realizes that while she and Emma might be safer on this side of the gate, her unborn son definitely will not be.
Femlandia is an extremely well-written and engrossing novel. Dalcher once again proves she is the master of the subtle dystopia. She offers a fascinating peek into the formation and maintenance of a cult. I also found it really interesting to watch as the abused became the abusers, turning their powerful feminist views into a misandrist nightmare. My heart started racing in the first chapter and I don’t think it stopped until I turned the last page. I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to see what Dalcher comes up with next. This novel comes out October 19th, so be sure to grab it once it hits the shelves.

Great read, but very dark. Civilization has collapsed due to economic missteps & Miranda and her daughter must make their way to a women-only community founded by Miranda's mother. Misandry abounds. And there must be a huge trigger warning for abuse, both mental & physical.
But given all of that, I enjoyed Femlandia. I read it in small pieces, as I didn't enjoy spending too much time in that world, but it made me realize anew the dangers of not thinking for oneself, and how no one group is either all bad or all good.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.