I am an avid reader. I love young adult fiction the most, but am always open to expand my horizons. There is almost nothing I love more than being able to walk away from a book and have it leave a lasting imprint on my mind. I think books that build new worlds with messages pertaining to ours are incredible. This list showcases books that left me with messages of female empowerment. There are many more out there, and from toppling patriarchal governments to simply empowering themselves, the women in these books showcase all the best qualities of feminism, as we all should regardless of gender. These are some great reads to add to your March TBR in honor of Women's History Month.
1. "The Grace Year" by Kim Liggett
I loved this book, like, seriously. In the last year, I have read it twice, and I just finished the audiobook last week. This is a standalone novel that follows our heroine in her incredibly patriarchal society that banishes 16 year old girls to the wilderness for one year because of their "dangerous magic," along with many other terrible things. This novel has the same spooky feel of "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson with plot points similar to Lauren Oliver's "Delirium" and "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. This is a great read no matter how you look at, but in terms of women standing up for themselves and eventually banding together, it is a great source for female empowerment showcased in a world that is truly terrible. I recommend this one overall, but especially in terms of women empowering women.
2. "The Wrath and The Dawn" by Renee Ahdieh
This novel is inspired by "A Thousand and One Nights," and I wish that was how long it had taken me to read this story. In a place where girls are taken to be married to the boy king only to die that same night, it is incredibly suspicious when our protagonist volunteers to do so. Shazi wants to seek revenge for her friend, killed in her marital bed by the king who takes brides from the villages, only to find things are not quite what they seem on the surface. Slip into another world while Shazi fights against what was thought to be set in stone while protecting herself and overcoming her own biases. This strong-willed girl is willing to face death to stand up for herself and the women of her community, set in an less than feminist culture.
3. "Ash Princess" by Laura Sebastian
If you read in the YA genre, you know it's been a big couple years for royalty in novels, and this is one of my favorites in the trend. Theodosia has been held captive for her entire life by the people who overtook her country and killed the queen, her mother, right in front of her. This story is full of magical twists but also strong female leaders. Theodosia works alongside many fierce fighters to reclaim their matriarchy of a society against ruthless forces. This is a fantasy read with a deeply embedded sense of female empowerment, and lucky for us, it's a trilogy.
4. "A Spark of Light" by Jodi Piccoult
I love the way Jodi Picoult tells a story. It gives you a full picture from so many different perspectives, and her endings always take my breath away. This story, in particular, is one I think every woman should read - no matter what your beliefs are. It takes a highly polarized topic and puts a face and human emotions on it. Moving away from fantasy, this story tells that of an active hostage situation inside an abortion clinic in the South. There are many different perspectives on this issue throughout the novel that could let anyone on either side of the picket line learn a little bit about women's health and this hot button topic, while still turning pages to learn the fate of our storytellers.
5. "Coraline" by Neil Gaimen
This one may be a story you are familiar with, and one that looks different from the others on this list. "Coraline" is a story about a young girl who finds a doorway to another, seemingly better, reality than the one she is stuck in. While the horrors of this new world eventually come to light, Coraline sets out to rescue the souls of other lost children while trying to rescue herself. The ability to go about rescuing others as she fights to not be trapped like them is incredibly courageous. The telling of this lost girl turned hero is incredible. Though it may not be the main theme of the novel, I find empowerment in Coraline's courage and selflessness.
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