In the not-too-distant
future, young girls around the world develop the ability to send electricity
through their fingertips. This charge can be as light as a static electric
shock or strong enough to kill. It is soon discovered that girls can awaken
this power in older women, and the world changes almost overnight. The Power follows the stories of four
people living through this tumultuous time. Roxy, the daughter of an English
mob boss, uses her power to fend off home invaders and soon becomes embroiled
in the family business; Allie, an American teen, fights off her abusive foster
father and runs away to a convent; Margot, an American politician, must hide
her power as new laws make it illegal for women with the power to work in
government; and Tunde a Nigerian journalist who travels the world recording and
reporting on what he sees. As scientists look for answers, governments try to
maintain the status quo and women take to the streets to overturn slights both
personal and institutional. Vigilante groups rise up, riots break out around
the globe, and women take by force the power that has often been denied and
used against them.
The Power provokes its readers to question stereotypes,
gender dynamics, and what it means to have power. But don’t expect Alderman to
hand out easy answers; she is clearly more interested in sparking conversation
and self-reflection, which she accomplishes with aplomb. This is a book that
begs to be devoured, passed on to friends and acquaintances, and dissected and
discussed at length.
-Portia Kapraun
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