My thanks to HQ for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Femlandia’ by Christina Dalcher in exchange for an honest review.

This is an extremely dark book that I found disturbing throughout. I would place a warning on it for mature themes and possible triggers.

Set in the very near future the novel’s narrator, Miranda Reynolds has lost her home, her job and her husband following an economic collapse that has devastated American society. Seeking a haven for herself and her 16-year-old daughter, Emma, they travel to Femlandia, a self-sufficient community for womyn, who want to live their lives completely separate from men.

Femlandia is a last resort for Miranda as the community had been founded by her radical feminist mother, Wim Somers. To say they had a toxic relationship is an understatement.

It is clear from the moment that Miranda and Emma turn up at the gates of Frelandia that it’s far from a Utopia. An intimate examination is required by its gatekeeper “to satisfy myself that you were always a woman”. Miranda is shocked by this exclusionary rule though it sets the stage for the nature of the strictly regulated community.

Almost from her first moments in Femlandia Miranda is aware of its dangers. There are further shocking revelations along the way. In addition, Emma quickly bonds with Jennifer (Jen) Jones, the co-founder of Femlandia, much to Miranda’s distress as again they have a complex history.

The narrative shifts between the present and past with events in Miranda’s life. There are also chapters that detail Win’s earlier life and her relationships with Miranda and Jen.

So dystopia without and within! Aside from its disturbing themes, I found this novel had no likeable main characters including Miranda. However, it was an interesting examination of how something that begins as an idealistic experiment can shift over time into a dangerous cult of personality.

Indeed, Manson and the Family, Koresh and the Branch Davidians as well as Rev. Jones and the Kool-aid in Guyana are referred to in the text. Also, is Jen’s surname another reminder? If so, it’s not a particularly subtle analogy.

Overall, ‘Femlandia’ was a difficult reading experience. Yet we live in a world where extremist groups do find adherents and Christina Dalcher has highlighted in this novel how a desire for a safe space can become in itself toxic.

In her Author’s Note, Christina Dalcher cites the 1915 feminist utopian novel, ‘Herland’, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman as her direct inspiration for ‘Femlandia’, though she admits to have taken a radically different approach by spinning it into a dystopia.

So, I am left perplexed by ‘Femlandia’. It is misandrist or at least a number of its characters are and as the incident at the gate demonstrates the community also excludes trans women. Yet these attitudes are what makes this a dystopia. ‘Femlandia’ is not celebrating them but showing them as despicable.

As such this is a novel that is bound to create controversy as well as to generate discussion with respect to its themes. To my mind this is a good thing as while it made for uncomfortable reading, some novels are written to highlight and question aspects of society rather than as escapism or entertainment.

So, I am rating it as 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

With the country in economic collapse, Miranda and her daughter Emma are left homeless and wondering the street. The only place left to go is Femlandia, the female only colony, the utopia in a broken world, but is everything as it seems.

The beginning of this was a little slow and I found myself re-reading some sentences, but it wasn't long before I was completely gripped and couldn't stop reading.
With empty shop shelves, fights in the grocery queue, and petrol stations with no petrol, the beginning of this book hits a little close to home! As with other dystopian books I have read, it's not too far away from reality to be believable.

Set in dystopian America, Christina Dalcher sticks to what she knows best in her new novel Femlandia.

This time the world has gone to rack and ruin, men have ruined the world and there's financial ruin and crisis. Miranda must do all she can to protect herself and her daughter. And that means finding safety in Femlandia.

As the title suggests Femlandia is basically a colony set up for females only. Now doesn't that sound like somewhere peaceful and wonderful to live in? Well you need to read the book to see how magical Femlandia is. Trust me it's not a fairytale land of women frolicking hand in hand.

Dalcher's books always leave me feeling uneasy and on edge. Yes, they are a fictional narrative of lands and places that aren't real. However, there is just that little nugget of "This could actually happen" a very terrifying thought. Have a read of Femlandia and see if you'd like to #jointhesisterhood 😉

Thanks to HQ Stories and Netgalley for my gifted digital copy as part of the book tour.

Femlandia - is set on a world thats somehow turned on its head, we dont know why which was strange. Now people are killing others or themselves, theres fighting, theres precious little food left. When Miranda's husband commits suicide, left her and their daughter Emma destitute, with only the clothes on their backs, Miranda takes to the roadand heads for one of a female only commune Femlandia which was formed by her mother many years ago.

When do finally arrive they find a community, with absolutly no men. The lengths this commune go to to keep men out, including trans men defies belief. Miranda's sister heads up this commune, they are self sufficient, growing their own food, all the women work within the compound. It's in-doctrinated into all the women in the compond that all men are evil. Miranda soon realises that not all is as it seems and questions what is going on around her. The answers are somewhat horrific and will chill you to the bone.

Thank you to NetGAlley HQ for offering a chance to read this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Despite the slow start which was, at times, difficult to focus on, Femlandia offers a horrible dystopian world which leaves the reader uncomfortable and with hope all but diminished.

The characters - including the main character Miranda - are all written in a way which makes them difficult to relate or engage with and, at times, even like yet there is a desire to continue reading, to find out more about this awful world they live in.

There are moments where transphobic ideology or terminology are used without any real consequence, just one line or so where Miranda notes that she doesn’t agree. This is jarring and problematic and potentially triggering for many readers.

Ultimately the horror and disgust drives the reader here, a morbid curiosity which forces them to keep reading, even when all the characters are completely awful, yet there is something about this novel which marks it as different and, potentially, gives it the power to be a well loved book.

An economic collapse has brought America to its knees. Miranda has lost her home, her job, and her husband. It's dangerous to be out on the streets. The only place where Miranda can find safety for herself and her daughter is Femlandia, a women-only colony Miranda's mother set up years ago.


I'm a sucker for dystopian fiction stories, and having read the author's previous books, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one, especially given it had such an intriguing premise.
I found the first quarter of the book very slow. However, after the action picked up, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
It was an enjoyable read.

I didn't read Vox but I read so many great reviews that I couldn't wait to read this book.
I had quite high expectations and I was disappointed because I found it a bit boring, with a lot of parts that seem to be written to shock more than being relavant to the plot.
The world building is interesting and well developed, the economical collapse of contemporary society and the personal crash of Miranda, the MC.
I didn't like Miranda for most of the book as I found her shallow and self-centered. I changed my view at the end of the book when there's a revelation.
I believe that women can be as bad as men, it's human nature. The utopic community, Femlandia, is a cult and it reflects all the dynamics of a cult.
I wasn't a big fan of this book even if I think there's food for thought even if there're some moments that seem a bit transphobic.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

General fiction, sci fi and fantasy. So says the tags for this book. Whoever wrote them missed out scary horror that could be too close to the truth. Neither is there a warning that it could cause fear that turns your body cold and has you checking your cupboards for tinned goods and long life milk.
If you are not on anti anxiety meds already, make an appointment with your doctor. I don't know how long Christina Dalcher took to write Femlandia but I hope the noise from the construction of the moat and portcullis did not disturb her too much.
Unlike me.
I was disturbed by this book because it reads too true. I was pulled straight into it. I had to keep reading when night came just in case I could glean some survival tips.
I have managerial experience where my staff were all female; four of them menopausal. I have also managed a staff where most were men twice my age. I know that if the content of this book ever come to pass that men will not survive. Women are the velociraptors of our species - morality be damned.
Read this book. Be a good girl guide/scout. Be prepared.
Thank you Netgalley.

I didn't enjoy this as much as I wanted to. It made me very uncomfortable. I understand the satisfying need for revenge but in the end we all know that balance has to be struck. I didn't understand why Win could tell Jen stuff but not Miranda then get cross with Miranda for not knowing what she'd been through. I felt the abrupt volte face of some once Miranda arrived at Femlandia was contrived. Sorry but on the whole I much preferred Vox.

An interesting take on the feminist utopia/dystopia theme. However I did find it quite difficult to engage with the characters, and some of the plot twists too staged;, such as how useful Miranda's job with primates turned out to be. I also found the ending very rushed.
Thank you to netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book

I love Christina Dalcher's feminist dystopian fiction - this is her most disturbing yet.

Femlandia was created by Miranda's mother - a place created by women, for women. Miranda's not bought into it, but with a scary situation on the streets, she finds herself seeking out sanctuary; but what she finds isn't the sanctuary she thought it was. Can she turn life around for herself and her daughter, or will she lose everything?

So sinister, disturbing and gripping that I read it in one day.

What a fantastic story!!. It was gripping from the start and was so near to believable that it fascinated me!!. It brought lots of questions up about how something like femlandia could realistically survive long term.
The characters were strong, the plot really well thought out and the end result a great book that will be really popular, as far as I'm concerned!!!!.
Loved it and highly recommend it!!. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC book for an honest review.
#penguinrandomhouse

Femlandia was an enjoyable, if rather frustrating read. The end of civilisation doesn’t come from a killer virus, zombies or climate disaster, but instead is caused by a total economic collapse. The world (particularly the USA) goes broke. Food becomes prohibitively expensive, services are shut off, people are made homeless: it’s every man/ woman for themselves. Except, as is often the case in these circumstances, it’s the women and children who suffer the most.

Miranda Reynolds is left to fend for herself and her teenage daughter when her husband literally drives himself off a cliff. She realises her only safe space is with the mother she hasn’t spoken to in a very long time, and the community that she has set up: Femlandia. It’s her last resort.

Now, if I were Miranda, I wouldn’t have prevaricated for so long - I would have turned up on Femlandia’s doorstep pretty fast. This is regardless of the fact that it’s nothing like the safe haven it has always sold itself as.

As I’ve said, this frustrated and gripped me in equal measure. There are plenty of things in this, that as a feminist, made my toes curl. But let’s face it: who wants to read a dystopian novel where everything is lovely, there are no problems, and everyone lives happily ever after? That’s like NO dystopia I’ve ever read about!

This looks at human nature in all it’s glory and ignominy. It looks at some uncomfortable subjects: abuse, control and prejudice (especially misandry and anti-trans). But do you know what? I raced through this, it gave me a lot to think about, and I think it’s well worth a read.

This is a completely different style of book that I have ever read before and I did enjoy it. I have never read any of Christina Dalcher's book before, even though I was very tempted by her older novel Vox. After reading this I think I may give it a go.

We meet Miranda and her daughter Emma who are seeking refuge in a women's only colony in a some what dystopian way of new age life. Miranda's mother founded Femlandia where women go to shut themselves off from the rest of the world. I really enjoyed the story and following Miranda and Emma on this epic journey. For me it was like reading a book about a cult, which I think is kind of what it is meant to be. The story is dark and how this mother and daughter team find themselves in Femlandia and it is not what they thought it was at all.

In some places I did find this book hard-going and really had to focus on the text as I found my mind wandering. A good read if you have read some novels like this before, but I do still love my modern day thriller books.

Thanks to Christina Dalcher, NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I do love a chilling dystopian story and have previously enjoyed Christina Dalcher’s Q so I was excited to start Femlandia. Set as the world banks collapse leaving society in shreds, Miranda and her teenage daughter Emma trek to Femlandia - a feminist commune set up by Miranda’s mother. Although it advertises itself as paradise, it soon becomes apparent that things are not as they appear.

Femlandia is a great concept, there’s something chilling about a safe-haven that might be anything but and an extra claustrophobic dimension to the story when the outside world is so broken. Christina Dalcher is a master story-teller and her books are engaging and well-written, keeping you hooked and engaged to the last page. I read through Femlandia quickly, wanting to find out what happened next.

However, I had a few issues with the plotting of the book. I think it would have made more sense for Femlandia to feel more like a paradise from the beginning and to have had more time spent on world and character building when we arrived in the commune. As Miranda is so suspicious of the place because of the history with her mother, it made the twist not very surprising and also made Emma’s character feel very flat as she just trusts these obviously shady strangers right from the off. There was a lot of conflict, bad decisions and Miranda getting into trouble or being put in isolation that you struggled to empathise with Emma at all and as a reader you never felt taken in by the place. The ending was also weird and I found it odd that someone who worked with animals in a zoo would mis-identify a noise which should be easily identifiable (no spoilers!). It seemed quite a far-fetched plot point twist and one that seemed more ridiculous than shocking.

The book also seemed to struggle with what message it was trying to convey. It made some very interesting and hard-hitting points about how important feminism is in a male-dominated and biased society but then cast those same feminists as evil monsters with no empathy or ethics. I also found it odd that in a book about feminism written in 2021 trans issues were glossed over so easily. It would have been nice to see a bit more debate about that in the story.

Overall Femlandia is an engaging and interesting story but had a bit of a mixed message at its core and could have been plotted better to make a more impactful read. Thank you to NetGalley & HQ Stories for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After the collapse of the economy caused widespread poverty and desperation, Miranda and her daughter Emma have no other options but to join Femlandia, the all-female community founded by Win, Miranda's estranged mother. Life in the feminist community seems perfect at first glance, but with a bit of digging much darker truths come to life...

I am a long-time fan of Dalcher's dystopian novel, and I am very glad I had the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication. This novel is a very unsettling depiction of what extreme feminism may look like, where woman becomes womyn, history becomes herstory, patriarchy becomes hatriarchy and so on... not far from some political correct terms we are starting to use nowadays. The future described in this book is disturbingly plausible and realistic, although brought to the extreme. As such, the story is incredibly thought-provoking and not easy to read.

Thank you to NetGallery and to the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s difficult to put into words what I think about Femlandia. I enjoyed it. I found it captured my attention from start to finish. There were a few moments when I was unsure. Miranda’s views on suicide go against everything I know working in suicide prevention. Femlandia’s views on trans people are something we’re having to deal with every day in our current world. Their world is as flawed and damaging and dangerous as our own. Femlandia is a great concept. The idea of a place for women to be free of the issues of our society isn’t a bad one, in theory. The morality of decisions when trying to protect your bubble is always an interesting question. But utopias are rarely perfect and this novel certainly explores the complexities that come from trying to create your own utopia.

A fabulous dystopian novel set not that far in the future…..women only colonies where only female babies are born. It’s creepy, it’s compelling and it’s one hell of a read!

When the world starts to fall apart - inflation rocketing, what jobs remain only going to the men, power failures and eventually water running out - Miranda and daughter Emma have no choice but to try and join Femlandia, the all female communities set up by Win, Miranda’s mother, years before. As they enter the gates, everything seems to be idyllic, with fresh produce, clean water and shelter from the terrors outside. But is everything as perfect as it seems?

Femlandia is an interesting story, of self-sufficiency, feminism and equality, but I just felt something was missing. It flowed ok, but I struggled at times to understand, especially the geography of the place, with fences in areas I couldn’t fathom. The ending was good, and the Epilogue very poignant.

For me, the book was a little like Femlandia itself - a good idea, well worked, but lacking something essential in the end. Enjoyable enough read though.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

A great read that really made me think. Scary how realistic some of the things in the book felt.