One girl's mission is to save herself and those she loves in the face of a government hellbent on conformity.

Summary:
Eleanor awaits a letter that guarantees her spot as one of the best and brightest at elusive places. When Eleanor is accepted to The Meadows, she finds herself among girls who she has more in common than she knows. However, The Meadows and its matrons have dark secrets and plan to reform the girls to battle and overcome their deepest desires. Eleanor begins accepting this change when she meets Rose, an enigmatic girl who questions and defies the matrons. Eleanor secures a job in the city four years later but cannot escape the memories and regrets surrounding her relationship with Rose. She must tread carefully as she struggles to uncover the secrets and the truth behind The Meadows, for The Algorithm is always watching and listening. Can Eleanor disclose the facts about herself and her society, or will she suffer the same fate as Rose?

Review:
Many aspects of this novel work: the writing, the story, and the plot; however, there are some issues. Let's start with what I enjoyed.
Stephanie Oaks's writing is fantastic and beautiful. There are many moments in the novel where the style just enamored me. Honestly, the writing style is my favorite part of the novel. Oaks has a raw and unapologetic style that demands the reader's attention. Her world-building and descriptions are hauntingly beautiful.
The story is incredible and timeless. In this day and age, where gender identity is often demeaned and ignored, the level of The Meadows and its girls reflect the conflicting desires of queer people. Often, people in the LGBTQ+ community face internal conflicts when told to ignore parts of themselves in favor of the "traditional" roles of men and women. There's a line in the novel that directly reflects this idea: "If everyone was expected to be the same, anyone different ha[s] the burden of conforming, or cutting away the parts of themselves that didn't fit." As a YA novel, I believe this commentary is hopeful and inspiring.
While the story's plot is similar to many YA dystopian novels, The Meadows offers new and exciting plot points. Of course, as most dystopian novels center on the theme of conformity versus individuality, Oaks's novel narrows this idea down to the conversion of non-normative people. I thought this was an exciting idea and something that I had not read before. Stephanie Oaks considered every part of her story to develop a fascinating world that intriguingly uses technology. Through a blend of Big Brother and Never Let Me Go, Oaks creates a compelling plot that is twisty and riveting.
My issues with the novel are minor and likely based on my age. While I enjoyed the social commentary, I often found it a little heavy-handed. As I mentioned above, most dystopian novels focus on individuality in the face of a demanding government, so I have read this idea many times before. However, I enjoyed what Oaks said and think many young adult readers would benefit from such commentary. In perhaps the most obvious bit of writing, one of the girls argues that she doesn't "think nature cares about girls kissing girls or boys kissing boys." If there is any doubt about what Oaks is discussing, she ensures readers understand the novel's point. As an adult reader, I enjoy books with something to say without mentioning it. However, as a high school English teacher, I know how my students read, and they often miss the nuances of a text, so I understand why Oaks lays out her ideas in such clear terms. As a YA novel, I think Oaks nails the plot and the commentary.

I struggled to rate the novel because I realized I was not the target audience. While I may have had some issues with the book, I don't think young adult readers will find the same areas of concern. I had to consider my role as an English teacher and think about my typical reader. As such, I give this novel four stars. I believe many teenage readers would find the story and the characters fascinating.

This was SO SO SO GOOD. The plot, premise, vibe, writing, world building was all on point. This really made you think as well.

I received this Arc from netgalley and the publisher to read and I am soo very happy I get the chance to be one of the first to review this book.

I suppose I will start with what I didn't like first, then I'll get to the good stuff.

First off there was a little bit of bouncing back and forth from present time to past time and in the past, we were building up to something. Building up to a meeting of someone: Rose. It took me a while to get the handle on when and where I was in the timeline, but once I got it down it worked. I only wish that at the top of the chapter there was a little note that said, five years ago....or present...etc...

The other thing was it was very reminiscent of the handmaiden's tale, the stories were very similar, but I'd say it was more of a handmaiden's tale meets stepford wives.

I did feel a little let down when we finally meet up with Rose and when the mystery is answered. It took me til the end of the story to understand that everyone has their own journey.

Ok so now on to what I liked.

The story was written so well. It had this way that made you think you knew what was happening or where the story was going and then it surprised you. The whole time I was trying to figure it out. It kept me reading this book straight through and I didn't even realize how much time had passed I was so engrossed in the story.

It also captured the turmoil and heartbreak of what conversion therapy could be, was and is. How heartbreaking it is for kids, and young adults and adults to feel as though they should be ashamed of themselves for being different, for having culture for embracing themselves. It was a hard thing to read at times and this book touched on many many hard themes.

I think that's what makes this book so good, so real, is that looking in as the reader you know what the meadows is before the character (Eleanor) and all the others know what it is. You see the way the meadows is rewiring their brains, you see the inner workings of Eleanor as she becomes acceptant of what is happening. And your heart breaks for them.

The ending is surprising, I didn't know it would go the way it did. But I very much was happy with it. This is my first book by this author, but I definitely plan to read more (even though I didn't find much more)

So, I'll be following for more books.!

I think even with the hard themes this book is a good book for teens, especially those that feel like they don't belong, or that something is wrong with them.

this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommendthis was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

Finally some good dystopian stuff! I really enjoyed this, it was a solid effort by the author. I was truly invested in the characters and their story. Recommended to young adults especially.

Oh my GOD i have missed dystopian novels!! Where has this been for the last ten years, I ask you! I need this genre to come back with a vengeance, and it all starts right here, right now, with this story. This totally reminded me of Deliirum, Uglies, and Gone with the vibes and the facilities and living in a secluded structure and not being able to love freely. But the best thing about this is the throwback to the girls with POWER. We have seen some strong women in YA over the years, but I truly feel that nothing beats a good old fashioned revolutionary. Eleanor reminded me a lot of Tris, actually, and watching her struggle with who she is told to be with who she wants to be was so freaking relatable my heart hurt. My heart also hurt for her and Rose's story, and really, they deserved so much better. Eerily parallel to the state of our current politics, this is haunting, wonderful, brilliant, and a much needed addition to any dystopian fan's shelf. Don't miss this.

I adored the story, the world building was amazing. I love meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it. The writing was also really nice. I couldn't put the book down and I can't wait for others to read and enjoy this story as well.