Book Review: Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill

DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF EATING DISORDERS AND BEING TRIGGERED BY TALK OF NUMBERS, WEIGHT, APPEARANCE OF CERTAIN BODY PARTS.

Other concerns are extreme body image issues and body hatred (related), misogyny, misogynoir, homophobia, fatphobia, self harm, suicidal thoughts, suicide, racism, child abuse, domestic violence, physical/emotional abuse, drugs and addiction, hatred of sex workers, sexual assault, brainwashing, gas lighting, grooming/pedophilia (minor mention.) < copy-pasted from my friend Sian's review on Goodreads.

It was hard to know what to rate this book. Undeniably awful especially in it's language but compelling, sinister and extraordinarily well-written in it's execution.

Set in a dystopian future where genetically perfect women are created in laboratories to be the companions to men, both in marriage to bear sons, and as concubines purely for sexual pleasure. A select few are kept as chastities to run the schools where the 'eves' are raised. The society claims to have eradicated organised religion (along with animals and much of nature - it is mentioned they live in some kind of walled bubble) yet the chastities bear a resemblance to nuns and there is an eponymous Father who rules over everything and is referred to as 'He' and 'Him'. There are also passages throughout the book that could be read as being from a bible.

The format was a little jarring at first as all the eves' names were in lowercase format e.g. freida. freida is our narrator and she's an interesting character. Flawed among perfection she seems to obsess more deeply than the other girls. Except isabel who seems to distraught that she manipulates her body to the extremes - first to overweight (this book as mentioned is very fatphobic and weight and weight loss are discussed to extremes) and then to severely underweight. It is only at the end of the book you understand her motivations and it is fascinating.

This whole book is an intriguing look into the psychology around body image and competition in the extreme. Interesting but not one I want to read again in a hurry.

3/5 stars.

Stef Out x