Book Review: "A Special Place For Women" by Laura Hankin
“A Special Place For Women” by Laura Hankin
Bookshop | Kindle
Publisher Synopsis: It's a club like no other. Only the most important women receive an invitation. But one daring young reporter is about to infiltrate this female-run secret society, whose bewitching members are caught up in a dark and treacherous business. From the author of Happy and You Know It.
For years, rumors have swirled about an exclusive, women-only social club where the elite tastemakers of NYC meet. People in the know whisper all sorts of claims: Membership dues cost $1,000 a month. Last time Rihanna was in town, she stopped by and got her aura read. The women even handpicked the city's first female mayor. But no one knows for sure.
That is, until journalist Jillian Beckley decides she's going to break into the club. With her career in freefall, Jillian needs a juicy scoop, and she has a personal interest in bringing these women down. But the deeper she gets into this new world--where billionaire girlbosses mingle with occult-obsessed Bohemians--the more Jillian learns that bad things happen to those who dare to question the club's motives or giggle at its outlandish rituals.
The select group of women who populate the club may be far more powerful than she ever imagined.
And far more dangerous too.
Rating (out of 5): 4
Review: This book was…not at all what I expected. For some reason, I expected something more similar to “The Herd” by Andrea Bartz (Kindle | Moira’s review)—a suspenseful thriller or mystery. “A Special Place For Women” was the genre-bending book I didn’t know I needed. I don’t even want to share which genres it incorporates for fear of giving the twist away! (I was actually shocked.)
Twist aside, what I enjoyed most about this book was its commentary on power and how it corrupts people. The women at Nevertheless seem to have good intentions, but they are more focused on things like “electing a female president” than electing the right female president. And it’s implied that once their preferred candidate made good on enacting a wealth tax, the women of Nevertheless quickly withdrew their support of her.
Some parts of the rules and rituals around Nevertheless were a bit overwrought, but I really enjoyed Jillian’s journey from down-on-her-luck, grief-stricken journalist to someone who gets caught up in the ceremony and rituals of Nevertheless. I was so exacerbated by her fixation on her former boss/crush and thought her friendship with Raf (an up-and-coming chef and also Jillian’s childhood best friend) was beautifully written.
Go into this one with an open mind and enjoy the twists and turns! I found its satirical lens struck just the right balance between critiquing “girlboss” (ugh) culture and showcasing the innumerable benefits of female friendship.
TL;DR: A genre-bending exploration of feminism during late-stage capitalism and all the consumerism and privilege that entails. I loved its commentary on power and corruption, as well as its portrayal of friendship.
If you liked this, try:
“The Herd” by Andrea Bartz (Kindle) (Moira’s review)
“Black Buck” by Mateo Askaripour (Bookshop | Kindle) (my review)
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