Nov 06, 2015 only ever yours is the debut novel from irish author louise oneill. I watched helplessly as freida pressed the selfdestruct button and felt her pain as vividly as if it were my own. Women are no longer made, they are genetically made and modified and are once upon a time, there was a happy book. The first edition of the novel was published in july 3rd 2014, and was written by louise oneill. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of only ever yours by louise oneill. Im going to issue a huge trigger warning for this one i feel like its on par, if not worse in some ways, than wintergirls by laurie halse anderson. So, the females eves are made in labs and designed to be perfect for the men. In the dystopian society of irish author oneills harrowing debut, freida is a 16yearold eve, manufactured by genetic engineers and raised to serve men. It was one of the few books on the shortlist that i didnt already own or hadnt read, but it was one everyone was talking about. Jul 08, 2015 its the books biggest flaw, but it doesnt make only ever yours any less bleak, unnerving or likely to stay with you long after you finish reading. Like a secret prequel to the book or something to help me understand the genuine nature of freida and isabels friendship. For a book with a barbie doll on the cover, its not fun or happygolucky as youd think. Freida is the main narrator and i most admit that i honestly hated her at the beginning. Only ever yours book ottawa public library bibliocommons.
Asking for it author louise oneill drops into the evoke. I came away from this book feeling insecure, anxious, upset and confused. She was born in 1985 and grew up in clonakilty, in west cork, ireland. Only ever yours by louise oneill what lauren did today.
Theres a good book buried deep in only ever yours, a debut novel by irish author. Its painfully confrontational about society and about being a girl in our society and that makes it the most important book ive read in the last few years. Comparing yourself to your sisters is a useful way of identifying these flaws, but you must then take the necessary steps to improve yourself. My little hall of fame includes the game of thrones series, the ross ocarrollkelly saga, certain chunks of the bible. Mar 08, 2016 i read this book in a day because it was so intense. On march 19 2015, only yours won the very first youthful adult ya book prize setup by book trade magazine the bookseller. The plot is certainly intriguing and i believe there is a good book somewhere amongst the pages. That couldnt be further from the case with louise o neills feminist dystopia, only ever yours, a brave, brutally honest book that confronts feminisms nightmare scenarios. Jul 06, 2015 im well aware of the importance of books like lord of the flies and 1984 but for me only ever yours just didnt quite reach that level. Only ever yours was published in the uk last summer and comes out in the us this week. But unfortunately, oneill only portrays the brutality of girls upon other girls and once again, a female protagonist whose main ambition is to find a man.
Like the best satire, and the best dystopia, it is blisteringly angry and close enough to reality to make readers confront some uncomfortable truths. Only ever yours is a damn disturbing read that explores uncomfortable truths as only the best fiction can. Killer content has acquired the film and tv rights to louise oneills novel only ever yours with plans to develop the property as a film and tv series oneills debut novel was a. The cover describes it as mean girls meets the handmaids tale, and i can see what they mean. Mar 21, 2016 asking for it author louise oneill drops into the evoke. However, in a search for friendship, i found a book club in my area advertised online. Nov 06, 2015 overall, only ever yours is a very intense, dark and important book. In which we discuss only ever yours only ever yours is a book by louise oneill, released last year.
But certain aspects didnt work for me or i didnt understand why oneill made those choices. At a chunky 406 pages, only ever yours is longer than i usually like to read for grab the lapels. It was actually only after i read it that i found out that it was intended as a young adult novel which surprised me as i found it to be mature, intriguing and dark bordering on disturbing due to the sheer, frightening realism. Louise oneill, quote from only ever yours all eves are created to be perfect but, over time, they seem to develop flaws. Jul 02, 2018 overall i found only ever yours a disappointing read. Louise oneill describes only ever yours as the handmaids tale meets mean girls. Like a secret prequel to the book or something to help me understand the genuine.
Louise oneills young adult novel only ever yours is a satire about societys obsession with how women. Only ever yours by louise oneill posted on august 11, 2015 only ever yours is 1984, mean girls and handmaids tale rolled into one, featuring a brave if completely pessimistic magnifying glass to how we treat women right here right now. She says and does things that are completely typically teenagery and shes the most unloyal friend you could have. Aug 11, 2015 only ever yours by louise oneill is the inaugural ya book prize winner. In louise oneills world of only every yours women are no longer born naturally, girls called eves are raised in schools and trained in. Only ever yours the story the story is set in a dystopian world where women have very few roles available to them. Only ever yours is a brilliant and terrifying look at the toxic, competitive, superficial world that todays young women are growing up in. Jul 02, 2015 louise oneill is the feminist powerhouse and outspoken voice for change whose novels only ever yours and asking for it helped to start important conversations about body image and consent.
Ive noted the genre as young adult, but only ever yours has nothing that feels young about it not once did i feel it had been dumbed down for a youngish audience, either in the ideas expressed or the way in which they were expressed. Women are no longer made, they are genetically made and modified and are once upon a time, there was a. They are genetically modified and hatched in a school for the use of men and boys called inheritants. Only ever yours book hennepin county library bibliocommons. Free download or read online only ever yours pdf epub book. Her books, like only ever yours, have become some of my favourites, and id like to share why not only because theyre addictively good, but because of their importance only ever yours is set in a dystopian world where it has become impossible for women to be naturally conceived. I n a world in which baby girls are no longer born naturally, women are bred in schools, trained in the arts of pleasing men until they are ready for the outside world.
A description of tropes appearing in only ever yours. Louise oneill is an irish author who writes primarily for young adults. It fails to do the full plot of the novel any justice, which i believe is what initiated a biased. Dec 07, 2015 in which we discuss only ever yours only ever yours is a book by louise oneill, released last year.
You are able to like telegraph ya books facebook page here. Now, aged sixteen and in their final year at the school, they expect to be selected as companions. Although the plot did drag quite a bit, i generally found only ever yours to be a compulsive read, its difficult to tear yourself away from the horrific brutality of the pages and i read it in two quick sittings. In louise oneills world of only every yours women are no longer born naturally, girls called eves are raised in schools and trained in the arts of pleasing men until they come of age. Only ever yours by louise oneill posted on march, 2016 by luvtoread synopsis. However i know many people love this novel so im probably in the minority. Overall i found only ever yours a disappointing read.
Fiction, young adult ive noted the genre as young adult, but only ever yours has nothing that feels young about it not once did i feel it had been dumbed down for a youngish audience, either in the ideas expressed or. I purchased only ever yours after it won the ya book prize. Only ever yours louise oneill the beauty of literature. Only ever yours by louise oneill includes spoilers. There were lots of different ways the plot could have gonemuch more exciting, daring and interesting waysbut ultimately, this book was a letdown. Louise oneills young adult novel only ever yours is a satire about societys obsession with how women look and behave.
Mind you i do the same with online book clubs i only read what take my fancy. Only ever yours by louise oneill 9781848664159paperback. Between those two dates, the novel has been roundly praised. Pdf only ever yours book by louise oneill free download. The patriarchy is so immensely strong and seems to be unbreakable. Jan 26, 2016 previous quarterly reads spoiler thread. Only ever yours is set in some future uk where girl babies can no longer be conceived naturally. If i were to bus readers to the novel i just read, theyd be blindfolded, and when they got to their destination id slam the door and jet quickly out of there. In a world in which baby girls are no longer born naturally, women are bred in schools, trained in the. Only ever yours by louise oneill published by quercus in 2015. I read this book in a day because it was so intense. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Only ever yours is a book unlike any ive read before and i think most people havent read a book like this.
Set against a dystopian backdrop, the novel is full of references to current issues teenagers face, from social media bullying to eating disorders to the pressure to be perfect. Only ever yours by oneill, louise and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Only ever yours summary writing the stepford spouses, compiled by a guy in fact, is much more than 40 years old but when louise oneills ya novel only yours is anything to put into practice, then your future is going to be filled with submissive and docile spouses. Buy only ever yours ya edition by oneill, louise isbn. Louise oneill is the feminist powerhouse and outspoken voice for change whose novels only ever yours and asking for it helped to start important conversations about body image and consent. Only ever yours is a pretty unusual book and its actually kind of creepy to think about how our world can actually be like this in the future. Where women are created for the pleasure of men, beauty is the first duty of every girl.
In a future world where beauty is a duty and girls are trained in the arts of pleasing men, best friends freida snd isabel, in their final year at school, fight to be one of the top ten beautiful girls, even if it means betraying their friendship. Youll be forcing your friends and book clubs to read it, because its a book youll need to discuss at length. Asking for it won book of the year at the irish book awards 2015 and stayed in the irish top ten fiction chart for over a year. Jun 06, 2016 basically, without my new book club, i would not have picked up louise oneills novel. Is it a terrible book or a brilliant metaphor only ever. Aug 10, 2015 only ever yours is cutting with its honesty and is brutally unforgiving. It came with a warningyou will hate it and you will love it. Goodreads ireland share book recommendations with your. This reads very well, its easy to follow and the plot itself doesnt drag at all. Only ever yours by louise oneill freida and isabel have been best friends their whole lives.
Parents need to know that louise oneills only ever yours is a dystopian novel about a nearfuture world in which population decline has resulted in women being genetically engineered and trained from a young age to either produce male children as official wives or provide sexual companionship as concubines, and its worthy of comparison. Now, aged sixteen and in their final year at the school, they expect to be selected as companions wives to wealthy and powerful men. Only ever yours is a feminist dystopian novel by louise oneill. Only ever yours book central rappahannock regional. Mar 20, 2015 louise oneills young adult novel only ever yours is a satire about societys obsession with how women look and behave.
A pair of teenagers struggle to break free from the confines of their highlycontrolled. Her books, like only ever yours, have become some of my favourites, and id like to share why not only because theyre addictively good, but because of their importance. Its funny because of course before you go into a book you never know what to expect, especially with synopsiss lately that sound amazing but turn out disappointing, again, this is not that book. The cover describes it as mean girls meets the handmaids tale. In a world in which baby girls are no longer born naturally, women are bred in schools, trained in the arts of pleasing men until they are ready for the outside world. The world in only ever yours is based upon mens idealism of women, and what a dark world that is. First published in 2014 and awarded the 2015 ya book prize, the novel centers on young girls struggling to survive in a vicious and relentlessly patriarchal alternative world. Louise oneill is to the point and sharp with her words, her style mirroring the themes of the book in perfect harmony. Detailing unpunctuated sentences mirroring a petty high school type drama of a rocky friendship, tremored by boys, between two teenage girls, the blurb of only ever yours by louise oneill surely disappoints. At graduation, the most highly rated girls become companions, permitted to live with their husbands and breed sons until they are no longer useful.
Only ever yours is a young adult book which i picked up from the library, because i am a creepy little fucker and disembodied stepford smiles bring me joy. I bought only ever yours after reading another of louise oneills books, asking for it, which although was based upon a. Learn more about louise oneill and only ever yours on her blog. Purchase only ever yours in the telegraph bookshop. Only ever yours is is the story of freida, isabel and their last year in high school. Only ever yours is 1984, mean girls and handmaids tale rolled into one, featuring a brave if completely pessimistic magnifying glass to how. Only ever yours is the debut novel from irish author louise oneill.
The book received widespread critical praise for its unapologetic look at issues affecting young women, including sex, selfesteem, and eating disorders. About a year ago, i discovered the author louise oneill. Disturbing, riveting dystopian novel skewers beauty values. I decided to read only ever yours after a good friend recommended it to me. But in only ever yours, the men are not really oppressed, or not in the same way as the women. Set in a world where women eves can only be companions, concubines, or chastities, freida and isabel have been best friends for years. The book has been awarded with sunday independent newcomer of the year 2014, ya book prize 2015 and many others.
Read the first chapter from the stunning ya book prize shortlisted book here. Upon returning to ireland in 2011, oneill began her first novel only ever yours, which was published in 2014. Its frightening to think that girls are actually taking medicine and bringing things to such extreme measures just to be chosen by a wealthy man. Louise oneill reveals dream casting for only ever yours. Im well aware of the importance of books like lord of the flies and 1984 but for me only ever yours just didnt quite reach that level.
Although the plot did drag quite a bit, i generally found only ever yours to be a compulsive read, its difficult to tear yourself away from the horrific brutality of the pages and i read it in two quick. Only ever yours is a dystopian book about women and girls called eves. Its the book s biggest flaw, but it doesnt make only ever yours any less bleak, unnerving or likely to stay with you long after you finish reading. Darwin seems to be beaten by his father, but as he says to freida, there is no way to escape. Its a dystopian ya unlike any other dystopian ya i have read recently because it doesnt pull punches and it completely adheres to its internal logic and constraints.
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