Review Detail

The Meadows is set in a future in a country which has been ravaged by climate disaster. The Quorum, a totalitarian government has taken control and has created a society based on homophobia, misogyny, white supremacy and lies.
The story follows Eleanor who lives in a small rural, coastal community. She is delighted when she receives an acceptance letter from The Meadows, a facility for the "best and brightest" children. The Meadows, and the other facilities, however, conceal a sick and sinister agenda.
The story is set in dual timelines alternating between Eleanor's time at The Meadows and her life in the city four years later when she works as an Adjudicator, monitoring facility graduates to make sure they haven't strayed from their training.
The Meadows is powerful and important Sapphic dystopian fiction. Eleanor's world is an extreme example of a society that many people in today's world are promoting. The assaults on the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people, the promotion of white supremacy, the erosion of voting rights, book bans, gaslighting, conversion therapy and climate change denial are all dangerous signs that tell us that the world in The Meadows is not that far-fetched. The Meadows is well written, immersive and heartbreaking. I liked Eleanor and her journey to self-acceptance, and the other characters especially June, Sheila and Jo. Thank you to BookishFirst for an ARC.