The Power
by Naomi Alderman
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More Recommenders
“Believe the hype | Summer’s almost over. If you have time to sneak in another book or two – here are a few I recommend.”
Source →“Believe the hype | Summer’s almost over. If you have time to sneak in another book or two – here are a few I recommend.”
Source →“Believe the hype | Summer’s almost over. If you have time to sneak in another book or two – here are a few I recommend.”
Source →Recommended by 5 notable people, including Bill Gates and Barack Obama
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Reading Profile
Should I read this?
Reading moves fast and often jolts between voices: intimate scenes alternate with widescreen social collapse. What works best is a vivid idea-novel setup that forces you to imagine how ordinary lives rearrange when a disruptive force emerges, producing sharp, sometimes shocking set-pieces. The main limitation is tonal swings—parts read like polemic and some characters feel sketched to serve the premise rather than live inside it. Expect provocative sparks more than quiet psychological nuance; the ending can feel hurried for readers wanting tidy resolution.
Read this if...
- •a book-club organizer scheduling a single-session pick who wants guaranteed debate — the novel provides clear, provocative scenes that fuel conversation.
- •a commuter who prefers propulsive, plot-forward reads and likes finishing a large chunk in one or two sittings — the episodic momentum keeps pages turning.
- •a graduate student in gender-studies preparing a seminar on power and social change who needs a narrative case study to test ethical and political questions in class discussion.
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when the narrative starts juggling many voices and the polemic ramps up — that midsection can feel noisy and schematic.
- •annoying if you prefer slow, interior character development rather than idea-driven scenes and moral provocation; several characters are sketched around the premise.
- •frustrating if you want a tidy, comforting resolution — the ending tilts toward provocative rather than neatly resolved.
In THE POWER, the world is a recognizable place: there's a rich Nigerian boy who lounges around the family pool; a foster kid whose religious parents hide their true nature; an ambitious American politician; a tough London girl from a tricky family. But then a vital new force takes root and flourishes, causing their lives to converge with devastati...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- a book-club organizer scheduling a single-session pick who wants guaranteed debate — the novel provides clear, provocative scenes that fuel conversation.
- a commuter who prefers propulsive, plot-forward reads and likes finishing a large chunk in one or two sittings — the episodic momentum keeps pages turning.
- a graduate student in gender-studies preparing a seminar on power and social change who needs a narrative case study to test ethical and political questions in class discussion.
- you'll likely put it down when the narrative starts juggling many voices and the polemic ramps up — that midsection can feel noisy and schematic.
- annoying if you prefer slow, interior character development rather than idea-driven scenes and moral provocation; several characters are sketched around the premise.
- frustrating if you want a tidy, comforting resolution — the ending tilts toward provocative rather than neatly resolved.
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 8 sources and appears in Dystopian, Most Recommended Books, and Science Fiction.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Bill Gates
Co-founder of Microsoft; co-chair of the Gates Foundation
“Believe the hype | Summer’s almost over. If you have time to sneak in another book or two – here are a few I recommend.”
View sources (3) ▾80%
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Recommended by 8 sources.
“Cloud Atlas launches six distinct narrative strands across eras and registers, showcasing wild genre shifts—from adventure and epistolary memoir to speculative and post‑apocalyptic set pieces—held together by recurring motifs and stylistic bravado. Reading rewards attention: motifs and echoes accumulate into a thematic chorus rather than a single linear plot. Main limitation: the deliberate fragmentation and frequent voice-switching can dilute emotional continuity; sections sometimes feel like sharp pastiche instead of fully rounded narratives, so readers wanting steady immersion may find it frustrating.”
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How recommendation signals are reviewed
Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.