I really enjoyed this debut tale of female control. Makes a change, as usually the males have the top spot in dystopian fiction.

Mutated moths are the reason for this change in hierarchy. Their toxic threads infected only men and boys. The lucky ones passed over in their sleep, the others became dangerous violent killers, and nothing could stop them. They're beyond help. The men are now 'residents' in special dust-free areas for their own, and others', protection. They know they will never again be allowed out in the fresh air. Basically, they are prisoners with zero rights.

The main character is Mary, and she is one of the women who takes care of the men. She is seventy years old and remembers how things were before the collapse of the old society. I loved that Mary was older, as this age group is sadly lacking in books these days. She speaks from experience. Young females have grown up learning that men are feeble, weak, and ignorant lesser beings, and are totally unable of fitting into society. The Council hammers home this message every chance it gets and never speaks about the pre-pandemic world.

I love the rhythm of the flashbacks, and the reader can see why Mary made the decisions she did. I don't really want to detail any more of the plot as it will spoil it for others, but this was very well done, and the specifics relating to the men's welfare and procreation are excellent. The world building and characteristics were very good, too. This is incredibly atmospheric and all too believable. I'll be keeping an eye out for Jane Hennigan's next book (hopefully on NetGalley).

NB My husband read this book in March 2022 and hated it, as he couldn't stand the characters - any of them! I think the book has since been edited and tidied up since then.

I voluntarily and honestly read and reviewed this work. All opinions are my own. My thanks to the publisher, Angry Robot, NetGalley, and the author.

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing this.

Moths is quite different in feminist dystopian fiction for having a female led society. Last female led society in fiction I read was Herland and I wasn’t hugely keen on that. Moths however does this well. Moths is set many years after an apocalyptic event where men start becoming out of control violent and attacking women or dying when exposed to threads passed on by moths. Most men die out as a result and the illness is still widespread even years later with the remaining men having to be kept in carefully sanitised facilities with heavily restricted freedom to prevent them from being infected.

An element I found really interesting in this novel was our narrator and central protagonist is in her seventies. This is absolutely necessary for the plot as Mary is one of the few people left who remember what life was like before the illness started. Most young women in the society think of men as frail and inferior and incapable of being a part of society in the way women are as they’ve never known anything different. Mary remembers a time when men were husbands, fathers etc. There was commentary around propaganda here as the council actively seek to inhibit information relating to the time before. I wouldn’t have minded more exploration in this novel around the society as a dystopia. There were themes of exploitation and control of freedom and information but this wasn’t discussed in great depth and I’d happily have seen more on this. I found it really enjoyable reading from the perspective of an older narrator, Mary felt like such a believable narrator and her choices in this book felt understandable when you learn more of her history.

I did enjoy that the book flashes back to the past to share the experience when the infection started. The book benefitted so much from this, keeping the tension up but providing needed context for actions taking part in the present. The scenes in the past were where most of the horror happened. There were some disturbing moments where infected men inflicted extreme violence on women.

Would I buy this book for my sister who is a big fan of feminist dystopian fiction? Absolutely

A toxic world ★★★☆☆

Forty-three years ago, the whole male race was hit by a moth toxin that either killed them or sent them into a dangerous rage.

Mary was there when the world ended and now works at a facility for some of the surviving men, keeping them safe from infection and the outside world. Men are now considered the weaker gender – both physically and emotionally – and are often dehumanised by a new generation of women.

Mary tries not to remember a time before, when she had a husband and a son and another baby on the way. However, when Olivia arrives at the facility and they share their stories, Mary becomes embroiled in a dangerous quest to give men a better life again at the risk of exposing her deepest secret.

A cleverly plotted and disturbing novel which reminds us of the dangers of both misogyny and misandry and the need for gender equity and a balanced world.

For fans of The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird and Femlandia by Christina Dalcher.

This was a slow burn of a read. I was expecting it to be more of a thriller based on the description; men turning wild and violent when exposed to the caterpillar toxin.

However, this book focuses more on what has happened many years later. A society run by women, and the few remaining men segregated for their own safety. Or so the Men’s Welfare Agency says, but is there more to the story? The reader will find out.

Truthfully, there were moments where I wanted something faster paced, and almost put this book down permanently. I’m glad I finished the story though. Will I read the second book? Maybe, but only if it sounds like a faster paced read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Angry Robot for a copy!

It's more common in dystopian novels for women to be the repressed inferior sex. So this concept was a refreshing change to read/see. This book is dark and utterly gripping and I think reading after covid makes things hit a little harder to home doesn't it? The author grabs the reader this way perfectly. I really can't fault this book in anyway!

All the love for the publisher and Netgalley for the wonderful chance to read and review this book🤍.

A compelling dystopian book, bringing around a compelling concept that, in my eyes, is the polar opposite of the truth of the world we're living in.

A concept of global disaster affecting only a single gender, resulting in absolute repression of men. A world in which women dominate everything. A world in which men's rights were completely trampled and abused. So, very interesting.

Mary as a main character, is very properly written. I could feel what she felt, I understand her motivations, I sympathize with her misfortunes. Bringing the world building through her lens is such a great move. For we able to learn about this horrendous disaster alongside Mary through her flasbacks.

I also want to applaud the pace of the book. The steady pace of the current POV as we slowly unravel the situation. Coupled with the fast flashbacks to provide us with enough backstory without it feeling like info dumping.

My only wish is to learn a bit deeper about the science behind the infection itself. Atmospherically it so well done. But I would've appreciated the book even more if I could get the bits and pieces of the moths bringing in this global disaster.

The ending is also quite anti-climactic. Maybe I expected some intensity and hard, painful decisions being made. But still, the writing is great and I'm glad I get to pick this book to ease my itch for dystopian.

Obsessed is the word that comes into my mind whenever I think about this book. I was obsessed with the premise, I was obsessed with the dystopian genre, I was obsessed with the writing. I was just completely obsessed.

I am a huge fan of The Handmaid’s Take and I found that this book reminded me of that in a way. The pacing of the book was phenomenal and loved how it jumped back and forth. However, the one thing that knocked this book down a star was the stereotyping that was involved in it like how a woman could learn how to fix a car from a manual. BUT that doesn’t take away from the brilliance of this fast paced read and it has left me wondering if something like this could truly happen in the future (I hope not ahaha).

Will I be more wary of moths going into the future? Probably. This book is a must read. I loved every minute,

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A very interesting take on a dystopian future. Opposition to something like The Handmaids Tale. While the writing was a bit blocky at times, for a debut novel it was a brilliant story. Will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Jane Hennigan.

Moths is an interesting dystopian debut about mysterious pandemic virus carries by ancient species moths and attacked only human male population. It killing them or worst... boost their inner beast.

With narration from much older protagonists this story isnt seem as simple as usually YA dystopian I read. The characters are likeable, and we could saw their personality and inner thoughts.
I like the writing style, it is feel mature and dig so many issues and conflicts happened in the plots. The world building and backstory super intriguing but still open for alot improvement.

It is smoothly jumps between two timelines and give us clear vision about new matriarch society after the pandemic and how the pandemic started in the past. Some conflicts also touch society and environmental issues. Overal this story is interest me and I enjoyed it so much.

Thank you Netgalley and Angry Robot for provided my copy. My thoughts and opinions always my own.

Certainly not a relaxing plot, but quite well done. This has a lot of ratings and reviews, and I don't have much to add, so I'll just recommend it to scifi fans seeking action and drama.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!

I first read Moths a few years ago before the confusing withdrawal from Kindle and stores. I understand that this was due to the author getting a book deal (yay!), and that was what the publisher thought would work best.

Moths is a dystopian (more yay!) novel set in the UK where a strange toxin delivered by Moth threads has ravaged the male population letting loose their most bestial urges or killing them with heart disease or pulmonary breakdown. It hops from past to present in a clever and easy to follow way, with multiple perspectives from women who witnessed the first bloody event where men became 'manic' and extremely violent and younger women who have only ever known men who were emotional and prone to hysteria.

One of the many reasons I love Moths so much is that it doesn't shy away from showing that women have flaws too. From creepy 'visitations' with men where the transaction is 'sex' to their fears about men becoming immune and the patriarchy taking over from the world women have created is explored and makes Hennigan's message genuinely authentic.

I could write an essay about how much I loved this novel but will stop now and just urge you to get it ASAP to prepare you for TOXXIC - the sequel. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

An excellent debut from Jane Hennigan.

The world is plagued by a pandemic(seem familiar) this time it’s a species of long forgotten moths. The kicker is the venom only effects those with a Y chromosome. As the population dwindles men are raised for breeding stock.

Hennigan has a clear vision of her world, she develops characters with depth and clear personality and their motivations make sense. She keeps a clear pace and the action is well written which is a common issue with the genre.

Personally I found the sections developing backstories to be somewhat unbalanced when it comes to their place in the overall story with larger sections left slightly late in the game.

For those who love a good dystopian yarn this one is fully recommended.