The novel takes place a few hundred years in the future in Copenhagen, Denmark. Four women are the main characters of this novel — Medea, a tiny witch with an affinity for snakes; Wicca, a Christian priestess who delights in sensual pleasures; Eva, a doctor who works with juvenile males at a spa center; and Silence, a plant whisperer who hasn’t spoken in decades and lives with the witches who took her in years earlier. (Medea is the first woman I met in the book and was astonished with her abilities with the snakes.) The Evolution occurred several generations earlier when women reclaimed dominance over men after centuries of subjugation. These foremothers are thought to have corrected the social order. In the beginning, women had ruled the planet until men took over and oppressed them, usurping earlier feminist belief systems. At the time of the Evolution, women had lost interest in sex with male partners. As a chemistry teacher in the novel helpfully explains, this was nature’s last effort to save the species. When they were no longer blinded by oxytocin (known as the “love hormone”), women “could suddenly see men for what they really were. . .” It is believed men contributed to their own downfall by having “too much faith in their genitals’ ability to give pleasure.” Eleven percent is the portion of the male population allowed to live. Men are not considered human yet are kept around for purposes of reproduction and sexual pleasure. Uncontained testosterone is considered dangerous and therefore not allowed free range. Instead, men are kept locked up in spa centers where Amazons train them tirelessly on sexual performance and all manner of kink. The sexual menu includes a broad range of male types. Perhaps the spa visitor would enjoy a Lloyd instead of the usual Chris this time? Spa scientists are on hand to administer medication immediately after sex to stop oxytocin in its tracks. In this time, 11% of men—enough to keep the genetic pool sufficiently varied—are allowed to survive infancy, only to be kept captive and heavily medicated. Definitely not for the squeamish, the novel follows four women who have trouble dealing with the system in which they have been raised. Medea and Silence are witches who live in a convent with an elderly “sister” and a nameless 7-year-old boy they have raised in secret. Wicca—Medea’s lover and a priest in the now-matriarchal Christian church, in which cobras play a critical role—worries that she won’t satisfy the mothers who have raised her to follow in their footsteps as priests. And Eva is a doctor with a potentially damning secret she’s held since childhood. Though it’s not clear whether the rest of the world has also been transformed, or just Denmark and its Scandinavian neighbors.

The author builds her brave new world with care and confidence, gradually revealing a civilization in which all new buildings must be round or ovoid, testosterone is viewed as poison and “manladies” with silicone penises service customers in the dodgier parts of Copenhagen. Self-designated Amazons are assigned to teach the captive males their varied sexual “jobs.”

The author has written a dystopian novel that involves a feminist takeover. It’s a horrifying, beautiful, and at times truly disgusting story of a mostly female society. I must include a warning in that there are some scenes that are “questionable.” Overall, I found the novel quite fascinating. I must admit that it is intrigue me with how they saw men. It left me with some questions that I will be wondering how that world would answer them. I do recommend this book As I haven’t read a novel like this for some time. It is a wild book to read.

While I was excited to read this due to the premise, I am sort of at a loss for what I got. I kind of get what Uthaug was trying to do here, but I wish it was more clear? I felt completely lost while reading; there are time skips within the same page, and no real break in the flow of the novel so it was often only through context clues that I would understand we traveled to a character's past. This could possibly just be a misstep with translation, but it really brought me out of the narrative because I was confused very often. I do think Uthaug was creative in what she was trying portray (a future society where men are almost non-existant and how women might perceive or think of men if that were the case) - most of it made some sense to me but I do think stereotypical expectations of gender norms were still present and rendered on the side of bioessentialism? I also feel like Uthaug tried to be inclusive and include trans characters but that too just felt like weird representation? Idk, it was a weird and confusing experience that I just didn't vibe with.

Definitely a unique, thought provoking book. Eleven Percent is set a couple centuries in the future where women have entire control over society. Men are confined in centers and are only allowed to be 11% of the population to allow for varied breeding. Religion is…weird and somehow Christianity has remained with some peculiar customs. We have four intersecting women and we learn about their current lives and also their pasts.

I’ll go ahead and say right now if frequent talk of menstrual blood is an issue for you then sit this one out. There’s also quite a bit of snake content and some heavier themes of gender identity. Not sure what genre this would be considered - dark lit fiction? It had some really interesting ideas and some concepts I could absolutely relate with regarding misogyny. I enjoyed this read but it never totally grabbed me like I hoped it would. I would have loved to understand more of the snake whisperer connection. When one of the characters has an episode during a service the book seemed to be heading in a really unique direction, but Uthaug pulls in a different direction. Overall, I’d recommend this book but to a likely very niche group who appreciate dystopian thought provokes with some funky customs.

I'm not sure this was the book for me honestly! Something in the messaging may have got lost in translation, but I was liking the first part and then it went downhill from there. I'm sure a lot of people will love this, but you definitely need to be a specific type of person, and that's not me (unfortunately, since this concept sounded so good!!) [1.5 stars]

Eleven Percent is an extremely weird novel that seems to mainly show that a women-led society could easily become as sexually fetishized and domineering as real-world male ones, and use the same religious and nature myths to justify it.
The story is told out of order, to emphasize and reveal the ways characters hide their own or others' attributes to try to conform to society, and the twists and turns as things are revealed.
The descriptions are intricate and language evocative, especially when it comes to the snake worship, the conditions under which the 11% of males are kept for breeding purposes, and especially all the ways people change their bodies to play with societal norms -- adding and removing appendages as they see fit for pleasure or survival.
Turn the gender dysmorphia up to 11!

This book started so many thoughts that I don’t even know what to say. Such a bizarre and dystopian read! I feel like I should have something smart to say about our society after reading this book, but the only words in my mind are “WTF”.

Unfortunately this one was a DNF. The menstrual blood cakes, snakes, and dead wolf-dogs turned my stomach and couldn’t get past it. Thank you for the ARC, but this one was not for me.

“God then created Eve instead. "I have made her from your rib, from a part of you that neither walks nor thinks nor speaks, so she shall be ready to obey your will," said God to Adam. And she was. Especially after she saw what happened to Lilith.”

What a way to start the novel I loved that!!

However over all I think this book was just okay??

It’s a weird and dystopian and i feel like I should have something smart to say about our society and religion and men and the patriarchy but after reading this book, but the only words in my mind are “HUH?” I was honestly confused most of the time and i really don’t know how to feel. But i mean extra points for having weird magical blood cookies in it. LOL that was definitely different!!

anyways I love translated fiction and dystopian novels but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me!!

Sorry, but I had to DNF at 36%. I finally called uncle and couldn’t do any more.

The menstrual blood cakes were one thing, but the masturbation was just too much.

I typically love dystopian tales, but this one was just way too bizarre and uncomfortable for me to continue. But thanks for the opportunity to read this one.

Eleven Percent is a sharp and thought provoking novel that explores power, gender, and control in a future where women rule society. Maren Uthaug’s writing is clear and compelling, and she builds a world that feels unsettling, but also deeply relevant.
It’s a bold read that sticks with you, and not just because of the story itself, but because of what it quietly challenges you to consider long after you’ve finished. I absolutely loved the weird, unsettling darkness of this novel and am so glad I got to get an early copy! Thank you so much for the eArc, can’t wait to get a physical copy when it comes out (:

Eleven Percent is a unique, thought-provoking dystopian novel-totally gripping, unlike anything I’ve ever read before.
An interesting story, well written and extremely thought provoking.
The writing is fascinating and held me glued to my kindle from the first page.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.

This is an interesting read..
I was not expecting some of the things mentioned in this book, such as cookies, snakes, and personal relationships. I recommend this book if you want to read something dystopian.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the eARC and NetGalley.

🌏Eleven Percent by Maren Uthaug is unlike anything I’ve ever read and I don’t say that lightly. This dystopian tale, translated from Danish, imagines a future where the patriarchy no longer exists. Women are the dominant force, men are tightly controlled, and nature is slowly reclaiming civilization.

The story follows Medea (a witch), Wicca (a priest), and Eva (a doctor), three women who shouldn’t even know of each other’s existence, yet their paths intertwine in unexpected ways. What stood out most to me was how the author flipped myths, rituals, and religious stories especially those involving women completely on their heads. It’s bizarre, bold, and at times deeply unsettling.🌏

🕠I’m still not sure how I feel about the book, but I definitely respect the author’s creativity and vision. It’s one of those niche reads that won’t be for everyone, but it will stick with you.🕠

Thank you to St Martins Press for the copy.

CW: Religion, snakes, blood, birds, rats, phobia, injustices against men.

Eleven Percent is my first read by Maren Uthang, and it definitely won’t be my last. With sharp prose and an unflinching look at complex emotions, Uthang delivers a story that’s both intimate and thought-provoking. The narrative dives deep into identity, relationships, and quiet personal revolutions, all while maintaining a grounded, human feel. It’s the kind of book that lingers, not because it shouts—but because it resonates. I’m excited to explore more from this author in the future.

Eleven Percent had a unique and intriguing premise that immediately drew me in. The idea of an inverse Handmaid’s Tale was fresh and full of potential. However, the execution didn’t quite land for me. The characters felt flat, and none of them stood out in a way that made me truly invested in their stories or desperate to see what happened next. Some of the big “Aha!” moments were unfortunately predictable.

On the positive side, I appreciated the way the story was structured across multiple POVs. Rather than quickly alternating, each character had their own dedicated sections, which helped the story feel cohesive and allowed the plot to progress steadily, no matter whose perspective we were seeing.

While this book didn’t fully work for me, readers looking for a different take on dystopian fiction with strong world-building might still find it interesting.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I was extremely interested in the premise, but I think something was lost in the translation to English. The narrative was much too meandering and overly wordy to pull me in, and I did not feel compelled to finish the story.

There is definitely an audience for this book but, unfortunately, it was not me. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an opportunity to read this book.

This was definitely a unique and thought provoking read that looked at women having the upper hand, very interesting perspective.

thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review!

uhhhh this book was so weird. maybe other people will find it good weird but honestly I just found it extremely bad weird. like yes there's stuff that will gross a lot of people out like menstrual blood cakes and a character trained in scat (no, really), but there's also soooooo much talk of like, snake breeding. an unbelievable amount of it, really.

Eleven Percent allegedly takes place far in the future, but it really reads more like... I don't even know how to put it... the 1600s if women ruled the world. the worldbuilding doesn't work when there's so much stuff that makes me go "wait, huh?" like literal magic. I also found it both gender essentialist and bioessentialist in a way that made me genuinely uncomfortable. get ready to hear about period blood endlessly, and also how testosterone automatically makes men evil.

I did find this book absolutely terrible. but I also got some disbelieving laughs out of it, so maybe someone will enjoy it???

The concept of this book was really interesting, but ultimately it just fell flat. I was unable to find a larger meaning or message which is typically found in dystopian novels.