To be totally honest, I mostly read this book because the cover is pretty . . . and I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but in this case, the cover was accurate! (And it was also endorsed by an author I love, so that helped.)

To get the content warnings out of the way: Andromache is definitely intended for older teens. In addition to tackling infertility and abortion, Andromache takes place in a corrupt society (not surprising, given that it’s dystopian) and contains implied sexual abuse of a side character. There’s very little violence (though some suspense and several frightening moments), and while there are some dark moments, the story is overall hopeful.

The characters were very engaging and well-done, especially the two main characters. I’ve rarely seen infertility addressed in fiction, especially for a teen audience, and I appreciated the author’s empathetic exploration of that through the eyes of the infertile female main character.

And in addition to that, the plot was unpredictable and intriguing. Several twists at the end caught me off-guard (and I can usually predict the endings of books or movies, thanks to all the time I spend studying story structure). And as for philosophical themes . . . there’s a lot I’m still pondering, even two weeks after finishing it.

Honestly, Andromache wasn’t quite what I was expecting. The dystopian genre has (ironically) gotten more optimistic in the last decade or so. While the story starts at a low point, the characters are nearly always in a better place at the end. Andromache has a hopeful ending . . . but I’m not entirely sure I’d call it a happy ending. I wouldn’t quite say I liked the ending, but it was fitting to the story. And if you prefer the more traditional dystopian novels like Brave New World or 1984, then I think you’d appreciate the ending.

So all in all, Andromache isn’t a book for everyone. It tackles some tough topics, and while the story and especially the ending are hopeful, it’s not overly optimistic. But I enjoyed it (and am still pondering it weeks later), and so if none of that scares you away, then I encourage you to give Andromache a try!

Have you read Andromache? Let me know what you think in the comments below!