Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh (6.30.20)
**I received an advanced reader's copy from Doubleday Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
"Calla knows how the lottery works. Everyone does. On the day of your first bleed, you report to the station to learn what kind of woman you will be. A white ticket grants you children. A blue ticket grants you freedom. You are relieved of the terrible burden of choice. And, once you've taken your ticket, there is no going back. But what if the life you're given is the wrong one?"
Imagine not choosing if you will have children, but instead having the choice made for you? Some women would likely be thankful that they did not have to analyze and decide for themselves (no guilt? one less thing to decide in life? trust that the government knows what they are doing?) while others would push back against the loss of autonomy. Among those women who question the process many would think they are alone in their thoughts, keeping their despair to themselves, while the braver ones would push back against the system--but how?
It's difficult to not compare any near future novel dealing with reproductive rights to The Handmaid's Tale. Blue Ticket definitely has elements that are comparable with The Handmaid's Tale novel but I think it was a bit more aligned with the television series, specifically the end of season 2.
I knew I wanted to read this novel the second I saw it because I loved the author's previous novel, The Water Cure. Both novels exist in an otherworldly vagueness, almost a dreamlike state, where logic is questionable and violence is palpable. This is definitely not going to be loved by everyone, but will be embraced by readers who loved The Water Cure, The Grace Year, and Vox.
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