Sage Donnell's "The Meaning of Liberty" is a riveting exploration of love, identity, and the pursuit of freedom in a divided America. The novel's characters are deeply engaging, each grappling with personal and political conflicts that feel both urgent and timeless.

Donnell's writing captures the intensity of living in an oppressive environment and the bravery required to seek liberation. The relationship at the heart of the story is tender and authentic, adding emotional depth to the high-stakes plot.

"The Meaning of Liberty" is a powerful commentary on the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring fight for personal freedom. It's a must-read for anyone interested in a story that combines thrilling action with profound social insights.

Dystopia at our doors: Women and LGBTQ rights under pressure
With bated breath modern women and gay people watch the trainwreck of the conservative Supreme Court in the US and the subsequent conversative legislation in red states. This timely novel explores the „what if“: what if the rift between red and blue states is getting deeper and deeper. What would be the fate of young women, of young lesbians in a red state?
TJ lives in a red state, Oklahoma. A state totally in the clutches of the Crusade of the Redeemer Church and the Patriot Army. Even her father, high up in the red hierarchy, can‘t help her at some point and helps her with a bodyguard, Bailey. TJ is „stashed away“ in Florida (or rather Floridistan) where women can only move freely with permission of their male guardians. Ultimately TJ and Bailey have to seek freedom and take action - and there is a lot of action to keep readers entertained or at times horrified.
There were quite a few scene which had me shudder: such callous treatment of LGBTQ people and women! And if the reality rearing its ugly head in the US is not enough, remember that this is still the daily reality in most countries - the West is rather the exception.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via netgalley. The review is left voluntarily.

Interesting world building at the start. Similar to now, but current possibilities are realised and not always in a good way.
20% in and I’m having to reread some long conversation sections that contain “she” a lot. This could be because the voices aren’t clear yet, but it is something I have noticed in a few different novels of late. I am also slightly confused about the mains ages. One was at college, the other is working as a substitute teacher. There is only one year between them. The cover also backs up my original thought that one was a few years older than the other. Obvious I could be misremembering but I’m not going to reread the start as it’s probably not a big issue.
I’m not 100% sold on the romance or the chemistry between the mains. I felt the section escaping by boat was okay but not tense, however tension came later and I found the journey to camp and subsequent events very tense. That tension remained for the rest of the book.
I enjoyed the jeopardy aspects. I’m not sure if the writer has done all the survival training or just researched it. Some bits I could kind of see, other bits felt a bit like, “I know this so I am putting this information in” rather than seeing it used. If you are looking for adventure that has one foot in the current world then I think you would enjoy this.

This book was well written but just wasn’t the type of book I enjoy.

Thank you for the opportunity to read it.