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An exploration of fate and female agency in a world very similar to our own--except that the markings on women's bodies reveal the future. A piercing indictment of rape culture, a read about what happens when women are objectified and stripped of choice--and what happens when they fight back.
Celeste Morton has eagerly awaited her passage to adulthood. Like every girl, she was born with a set of childhood markings--the freckles, moles, and birthmarks on her body that foretell her future and that of those around her--and with puberty will come a new set of predictions that will solidify her fate. The possibilities are tantalizing enough to outweigh the worry that the future she dreams of won't be the one she's fated to have and the fear of her "changeling period" the time when women are nearly irresistible to men and the risk of abduction is rife.
Celeste's beloved brother, Miles, is equally anticipating her transition to adulthood. As a skilled interpreter of the future, a field that typically excludes men, Miles considers Celeste his practice ground--and the only clue to what his own future will bring. But when Celeste changes, she learns a devastating secret about Miles's fate: a secret that could destroy her family, a secret she will do anything to keep. Yet Celeste isn't the only one keeping secrets, and when the lies of brother and sister collide, it leads to a tragedy that will irrevocably change Celeste's fate, set her on a path to fight against the inherent misogyny of fortune-telling, and urge her to create a future that is truly her own.
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This book had great themes, especially surrounding women's oppression. But the novel could of used some better editing as the length makes the pace of the plot choppy. A decent read.
I loved this book and had a hard time putting it down. It's a really great metaphor for rape culture and statescraft.
I fell in love with the lore in this world, and found myself wanting to hear more about some of the supporting characters (the parents of Celeste, Marie's mother, the teachers on the Mountain, Julia, Miles).
I will say: this is completely a dark fantasy/fiction book. There likely won't be explanations for how/why the moles, freckles & birthmarks change on women's bodies (there certainly was not in this book). If the lack of explanation is likely to bother you, I do not recommend this book to you, as it does require some suspension of belief.
I have not read the Handmaid's Tale yet, but I do understand this is the YA version of it.
