About the Book
Think The Handmaid’s Tale but with the women in charge, set in a world where all men are electronically tagged and placed under strict curfew, and the murder investigation threatening to undo it all.
Imagine a near-future Britain in which women dominate workplaces, public spaces, and government. Where the gender pay gap no longer exists and motherhood opens doors instead of closing them. Where women are no longer afraid to walk home alone, to cross a dark parking lot, or to catch the last train.
Where all men are electronically tagged and not allowed out after 7 p.m.
But the curfew hasn’t made life easy for all women. Sarah is a single mother who happily rebuilt her life after her husband, Greg, was sent to prison for breaking curfew. Now he’s about to be released, and Sarah isn’t expecting a happy reunion, given that she’s the reason he was sent there.
Her teenage daughter, Cass, hates living in a world that restricts boys like her best friend, Billy. Billy would never hurt anyone, and she’s determined to prove it. Somehow.
Helen is a teacher at the local school. Secretly desperate for a baby, she’s applied for a cohab certificate with her boyfriend, Tom, and is terrified that they won’t get it. The last thing she wants is to have a baby on her own.
These women don’t know it yet, but one of them is about to be violently murdered. Evidence will suggest that she died late at night and that she knew her attacker. It couldn’t have been a man because a CURFEW tag is a solid alibi.
My Review
Whoa. When I first closed this book, my thoughts were everywhere. Did I like it? Hate it? It’s not often after I get done reading do I need several moments to compose myself and process the entirety of what I just consumed, but Curfew made me do just that. And when I was done processing, I needed to talk about this book. I shared the premise with my friends, we got into some discussions and even debates about the plot – men being forced to abide by a 7pm curfew, to agree to become electronically tagged starting at the age of 10 – in order to protect women from abusive situations. While I have never seen The Handmaid’s Tale I have an understanding what it is, so it made sense to see so many reviews compare this novel to that – except with a gender reversal.
There are a lot of timely social discussions in here, from rights over our own bodies, working environments, domestic situations and more. I was enthralled at several moments while reading, horrified at some, and downright curious at others. When having a discussion on this book with my friend’s I mentioned how I didn’t think something like this envisioned world could ever come to be – but then again – how are girls convinced by medical doctors to start taking a hormonal pill at the age of thirteen? How is a country convinced to not leave their homes unless of an emergency during a pandemic? When I tell you this book would be an excellent pick for a book club selection or simply to expand your mind and make you question what you know, what you believe and what you think is right. It’s provocative, fascinating and will definitely make you think.
5 stars
Sam, I heard you recommend this in your monthly YouTube video and I was so intrigued.
After reading the sample, I downloaded it and binge read it in 2 sittings (before work and after work).
I’m obsessed and need to talk about it.
I didn’t think it was as horrifying as The Handmaids Tale but I’m not a man so maybe Curfew is equally horrifying to them.
The sexual assault component of The Handmaids Tale is what gets me. I read the book but not the newly released sequel and only made it through the 2nd season of the Television series because it was seriously affecting my mood and mental health.
I find the escalation of the curfew interesting. How they didn’t initially attach the tracking anklets but too many men were breaking curfew so it was escalated to the trackers.
I really liked Pamela the veteran police officer. I appreciate her pushing for the truth and not giving a f@%! about superior officers since she was retiring. (Also, look how much integrity people have when their jobs/livelihoods/medical insurance isn’t holding them hostage and stopping them from being whistleblowers)
How can this country have tainted baby formula factories and now a massive formula shortage and then is going to take away women’s bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom? The same country that cannot guarantee children won’t be shot and killed in their schools? And I just know if Roe goes down, contraception/IVF/gay marriage are going with it since Roe was the basis for those cases.
I’m sorry I’m all over the place. I have so many feelings but thank you for the recommendation and can we have a book club live chat on this?
Author
I love that it made you want to discuss it, I felt the same way! Thank you for sharing 🙂