The Willing by Lindsay Lees
In less than a year, fifteen-year-old Gypsy Capone will be considered a woman in Ovoidia, a “utopian” city-state where every woman can be approached for immediate sex by any man, where curving architecture adheres to the feminine form, knives are prohibited and sporks are the only cutlery, and true intimacy between the genders is a sign of suspect subversion. After all, if a woman just plays along, she’ll also do her job and have children, with the reward of a fine home in the “Communities,” where she and the other “Mamas” live together in harmony with everything they need. Right?
The irony: Diam and Isis, the two current leaders of Ovoidia, are themselves a part of a legacy of females known as the Head Gajes. Fun, yes! And just below the surface, perversely sinister. The Head Gajes personally execute these precise sacrifices by women to establish their absurd utopia, and are backed up by their chosen army of male “crusaders,” enforcing a crime-free, fully controlled society.
Not surprisingly, in Ovoidia women have evolved until they feel nothing of sexual pleasure. But in Gypsy’s deepest heart, she realizes her own dark secret: she is the exception. To save her body and even her soul, Gypsy chooses a dangerous path—to single-handedly confront this scary and unpredictable world. She believes she has the support of her allegiant sister Sadie and Miles Devine, a rogue, secretly gay crusader, and also “Doctor,” a morally questionable physician to help her. But none of them fathom the levels of paradox, incongruity, and twisted evil they will soon face, and the ride becomes something even Gypsy could have never imaged.
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My Review
The Willing is a dystopian novel set in Ovoidia. This city-state is a utopian society where women, once they turn 16, can be approached by men for sex. Sex is not meant to be pleasurable; it's just meant to be something women do as their duty to produce children so they can live in the Communities with other mamas. Everything they could ever want or need is provided, and they need to do nothing. Sounds a bit dull, am I right?
Enter Gypsy, our main character. Gypsy is a 15 year old girl who is creeping up on 16. She's not really looking forward to it, though. What if she doesn't want to "do her duty"? What if she can't have kids? Turns out, Gypsy is also harboring a secret: she feels pleasure when she shouldn't. She's the exception to the rule. It's a dangerous path, but one Gypsy feels she can go down with the help of Miles (who is gay), a physician known as "Doctor", and her sister Sadie. But Gypsy has no idea what awaits them on this path. Just how dark and evil do things get? You'll have to read it and find out.
I will admit, this book was a bit heavy. I was curious and intrigued based on the synopsis, and once I got into the book, I was definitely hooked. But it was a bit hard to read at times. It's definitely a rollercoaster of emotions, that's for sure. I felt angry. I felt sad. There's a lot to unpack once the book is over.
I liked Gypsy and Miles. I thought they were characters who were written well. And I absolutely hated the Gajes. They're women in charge who think nothing of doling out horrific punishments (like genital mutilation) to women who refuse to follow the rules. It's appalling.
The world is dark, bleak, and pretty awful, but it also has a very real vibe to it.
The story isn't super graphic, though. It tackles these terrible subjects in a delicate and respectful way while also making the reader think. And, considering the book is dedicated to victims of sex trafficking/exploitation, it really does make you think.
If you're a fan of dystopian fiction, and if you want to read something similar to The Handmaid's Tale, check out The Willing.
4 stars!
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