OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Abigail" by Gloria Kitchens.]

Abigail by Gloria Kitchens is a science fiction novel about a young woman trapped in unbearable conditions and forced to be a sex worker. At the opening of the story, Abigail is half-starved and filthy, locked in a basement. She escapes with a man, Deely, working to bring down a loosely connected ring of brothels. Abigail and Deely work together for the rest of the novel, targeting brothels and ultimately a large security company.

The story is set on Earth, 150 years in the future. The large cities are built under giant plastic domes to protect the people from out-of-control pollution. Some of the technology the author describes is interesting, and she does a pretty good job filling in the details of the future Earth. One of the ancillary characters is an older model android who works in Deely’s restaurant. His interactions with Deely add a bit of comedy. Overall, though, there was nothing in the story that necessitated the sci-fi elements. It seemed to only be written as a sci-fi novel to lighten the heavier themes.

The main problem with the book is that the themes are too adult for a YA audience. One scene in particular was much too graphic for the intended audience. I think I would have enjoyed this novel more if the author had leaned into the sci-fi angle a little more and written it for an adult audience.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this book. The pacing was good, and the characters were well-developed, especially the title character, Abigail. The author did a great job exploring the psychological effects of the hardships she was subjected to and showing her growth and resilience once she had found safety. I would rate the book four stars out of five. The story is engaging and well-written, but the content doesn’t fit the intended audience. I would only recommend the book for adults.

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Abigail
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Well, this is just another reminder of the constant and ever-present threat posed by pollution and climate change and the need to combat this by all means. Abigail and Deely seem to have a very big fight and I hope they are going to win without risking their own lives. The review is informative; thank you, @Alicia Salanick.

Nah, ini hanya pengingat lain tentang ancaman konstan dan terus-menerus yang ditimbulkan oleh polusi dan perubahan iklim dan perlunya memerangi ini dengan segala cara. Abigail dan Deely tampaknya bertengkar hebat dan saya harap mereka akan menang tanpa mempertaruhkan nyawa mereka sendiri. Ulasannya informatif; terima kasih,@Alicia Salanick

I agree with the review, the themes are too heavy for a young audience regardless of the sci-fi aspect or the humorous parts. In overall, it seems like an interesting book. The storyline is captivating. It's sad to think that 150 years in the future, the World will still face the same issues or even worse: forced prostitution, human exploitation, major pollution,...

4 de 5 estrelas

Abigail é uma leitura intensa e envolvente, com uma protagonista forte que enfrenta traumas profundos em um futuro distópico. A ambientação é interessante, com cidades sob cúpulas plásticas e tecnologia curiosa, mas o enredo não depende tanto da ficção científica quanto promete. A relação entre Abigail e Deely é o coração da história, e os dois formam uma dupla cativante em sua luta contra uma rede de exploração. Há um androide secundário que oferece momentos de leveza. No entanto, o conteúdo é extremamente adulto — com cenas gráficas que não combinam com o público jovem adulto, para quem o livro parece inicialmente direcionado. Isso me tirou um pouco da experiência. Apesar disso, os personagens são bem desenvolvidos e a narrativa tem bom ritmo. Eu recomendaria o livro, mas apenas para leitores adultos.

I agree with a lot of your points about Abigail by Gloria Kitchens. The story's depiction of Abigail’s resilience and psychological growth is definitely its strongest aspect, and I also found the pacing engaging throughout.

I did feel that the sci-fi elements, while interesting, could have been more integral to the plot—they felt more like a backdrop than a driving force. That said, the dome cities and android side characters added a unique flavor to the world.