Title: The Chaperone
Author: M Hendrix
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: 6th June 2023
BLURB from Goodreads
Like every young woman in New America, Stella knows the rules:
Deflect attention.
Abstain from sin.
Navigate the world with care.
Give obedience.
Embrace purity.
Respect your chaperone.
Stella can't go out by herself, or spend time with boys except at Visitations. Girls in New America must have chaperones at all times until they marry, so Stella's lucky that Sister Helen is like a friend to her. When Sister Helen dies suddenly, she's devastated, especially when the Constables assign Stella a new chaperone just days later.
Sister Laura is... different. She leaves Stella alone at the library (isn't that illegal?) and knows how to get into the "Hush Hush" parties where all kinds of forbidden things happen. As Stella spends more time with Sister Laura, she begins to question everything she's been taught. What if the Constables' rules don't actually protect girls? What if they were never meant to keep them safe?
Once Stella glimpses both real freedom and the dark truths behind New America, she has no choice but to fight back against the world she knows. She sets out on a dangerous journey across what was once the United States, risking everything.
REVIEW
I think the cover is really striking and certainly does its job of drawing your eye and attention to it perfectly. I would without a doubt have to pick this one up from a book store shelf to learn more about it. The close up of the attractive face of who I would presume is Stella, with the bold byline of 'In New America Girls Are Never Alone' across the forehead. It's a fact, a rule, maybe even a warning!
The the face around the cracking and breaking up, perhaps allowing Stella to see through the facade built around her, allowing her to glimpse reality. Then the bold title 'The Chaperone' straight across her mouth like a gag silencing her.....I think the cover is very symbolic represents the book extremely well.
I would say the society is almost Mormon or Amish like in its values and rules for young girls and women with a little handmaids tale thrown in. It's a society that's male led and dominated. Girls are taught they following the must
Deflect attention, Abstain from sin, Navigate the world with care, Give obedience, Embrace purity and Respect your chaperone
Young girls are brought up to know 'their place' and exactly what it is expected of them. Despite girls being educated and being allowed to apply for college more often than not the young girls are married off instead.
When a young girl reaches the age of puberty and 'becomes a woman' they must have a Chaperone to accompany them, teach them how to behave and what is expected of them. If the young girls family has money, the Chaperone will come and live with them in their own home. If the girl is from a poorer family that cannot afford this the young girl is sent to a government school. Such girls are referred to as 'govie girls' looked down on. Usually girls from government school either match to a boy/male of similar poor wealth & status and have children or they go to become Chaperones. Even the wealthier families that afford chaperones seem to have their own 'ranking' system.
The main character Stella is the daughter of a fairly wealthy and powerful man Mitchell Graham though at the beginning of the book Stella doesn't realise just how powerful her father is or how deeply involved he is with those ruling the society and way of life. Stella has been getting ready for her Sunday Visitation from a possible 'match'/future husband and it's with Levi Edward's, it's the third visit the Constables have approved when she hears screams and discovers her Chaperone Sister Helen dead. The irony of the situation doesn't escape Stella that she had been wishing for a way out of her visitation with Levi but not in this way.
Sister Laura is sent as the new Chaperone and is different to Sister Helen yet neither Chaperone was as strict as some of her friends. Sister Laura sneaks into Stella's room at night supplying her with contraband books encouraging Stella to read them and think for herself. Sister Laura instigates the new exercise regime which sees Stella running every week with her father. Sister Laura also takes Stella to a secret self defence class for girls and women where she learns not only to defend herself passively but to pro actively fight to defend herself.
Sister Laura isn't shocked when Stella wants to attend one of the illicit, illegal parties that some of her peers organise but she tells the still somewhat naive Stella she will only help her if she learns to drink and can 'hold her drink' as girls who cannot hold their drink and loose control at these parties can and will be taken advantage of. Sister Laura teaches Stella about what is referred to as 'old' America, how it still very much exists and how life is totally different there.
Sister Laura continues to teach Stella what she needs to know and be aware of when she comes to the life changing decision that she wishes to disappear to 'old' America to live a real life of freedom. Stella also realises that Sister Helen had been educating and steering Stella to this big decision too though perhaps not as obviously as Sister Laura.
It's only when Stella gets her 'freedom' she decides it's not 'enough' she wants to help educate other girls, teach them life skills, help them have a choice and if they want to help them escape the highly restrictive 'New America'. Stella's path is going to be a long, lonely, difficult and dangerous. Her first step into this new path is to return to the place she was so desperate to escape, convince those in power including her family that she wants to become a Chaperone to teach New America's ways and rules. It wont be easy as it's not that long since she professed to be against all New America stood for.
There's so much more to come from Stella and this series, so many possibilities and directions the series can evolve. Theres lots of subtle questions still left to be answered, along with larger ones such as who murdered Sister Helen! I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of this series. From the Chaperone training about to be revealed as this book ends to the work of those resisting New America and its rules. You go through the journey of discovery and re education with Stella. She has her suspicions about her father and his connections with the minute men, especially when he seems determined to marry her off with a young constable. Once away from her mother, Stella finds out her mother has helped her and encouraged her down her eventual chosen path much more than she ever realised and that her mother perhaps doesn't agree with how things are in New America, especially when she meets an old friend her mothers whilst she is in 'Old America'.
Stella starts off at the beginning of book being resigned to her life, though her life is sheltered and quite well off in comparison to others around her. The trigger for her 'awakening' is the death of Sister Helen and the arrival of Sister Laura. Stella becomes braver, asking questions, becoming more rebellious and less accepting of what is expected of her. By the end of the book Stella is a stronger, brave and determined young woman with her mission firmly decided upon by herself.
The Chaperone reminded me a little of Shannon Stoker's The Collection and has a similar type of feeling about it as Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch. The Chaperone also the edginess and some similarities with Handmaids Tale such as the male dictatorship, the undercover resistance willing to risk their lives to help the girls. The Chaperone is dystopian, with aspects of speculative fiction and scarily possibly futuristic if some of those in authority had their way.
My immediate thoughts upon finishing reading the book were, Oh wow! Amazing! Fantastic plot, great characters and so well written it's hard to put down! Loved it and cant wait for more! I feel like I could seriously go on and on about this book & it's great characters.
Summing up, just believe me you do not want to miss this one! Its characters, society and world building are all so well thought out and detailed that you don't just read the book you visualise it like a movie!
Brilliant addictive reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment