The Power is a story of revolution. What if almost all women in the world awoke a supernatural power inside them? This book explores this in a way that makes you think and I appreciate the direction it takes. It illustrates the flaws of humanity in a relatable way that makes for interesting storytelling.

The story follows multiple women, and one man, through this surge of power. Most of the women that awaken the power are younger, but they can use their ability to awaken it in adult women as well. After the first discovery, it spreads across the globe and suddenly women are feared. News stations and politicians spin this in ways you might expect: equating it to a virus and recommending quarantine until more information is discovered. They recommend treatment and research is immediately invested in. Some girls however, use the power to get what they want. It’s basically an electric-based power with various utility, so most women use it to stun others. There’s talks of weaponizing it and some girls are sent to boot camps to train. Political debates around using young girls as soldiers is debated and though it sounds crazy, I could see this scenario taking place if it were to happen in real life. One character runs for office, one starts a religious cult, the other runs a gang and the one guy reports the story. Not all these characters connect with one another, but their differing views on the ongoing state of the world keep the story going in a way that pulled me along. One storyline follows an uprising in a country where women were trafficked to and their newfound freedom to get justice for their pain was one of the highlights for me. I am all for female empowerment, but this story doesn’t stay that course the whole time.

Near the midpoint of the book, things start to take a turn. Women are abusing their power and doing some truly horrific things. People are scared and one nation (now ruled by women) essentially enslaves the male population. There are some really gruesome depictions of women doing unspeakable things that might trigger some people so I won’t mention them here. I will say that this change is gradual and makes sense for the story that Alderman was trying to tell. Instead of being just a story about female empowerment, it became a cautionary tale to anyone that’s a tale as old as time. “Power corrupts.” It’s a simple message, but the way it slowly builds to this is really well done. It was hard to read some of the passages, and I know this was the intention, however it wasn’t done for shock factor but rather to depict a realistic take on how this shift would affect the globe.

I enjoyed this book, despite some of the gritty scenes. The story was well told because of the various perspectives and how realistic it felt. Even though this was a story about women awakening to a supernatural power, it felt grounded. The character responses to the scenarios they faced were relatable and helped the story’s authenticity. I really like when characters have motivations that make sense to them and the reader. The way Alderman explains their stories and how they became who they are lends to that authentic feel. I will definitely be checking out some of her other works at some point.