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    When She Woke
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    When She Woke
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    When She Woke
    Ebook374 pages6 hours

    When She Woke

    By Hillary Jordan

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Hannah Payne is a RED.

    Her crime: MURDER.

    And her victim, says the state of Texas, was her unborn child.

    Lying on a table in a bare room, covered by only a paper gown, Hannah awakens to a nightmare. Cameras broadcast her every move to millions at home, for whom observing new Chromes - criminals whose skin has been genetically altered to match the class of their crime - is a sinister form of entertainment.

    Hannah refuses to reveal the identity of her father. But cast back into a world that has marked her for life, how far will she go to protect the man she loves?

    An enthralling and chilling novel from the author of MUDBOUND, for fans of THE HANDMAID’S TALE and THE SCARLET LETTER.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins UK
    Release dateOct 13, 2011
    ISBN9780007462469
    Author

    Hillary Jordan

    Hillary Jordan spent fifteen years working as an advertising copywriter before starting to write fiction. Her first novel, Mudbound, was named one of the Top Ten Debut Novels of the Decade by PASTE magazine. It won the 2006 Bellwether Prize, founded by Barbara Kingsolver and awarded biennially to an unpublished debut novel that addresses issues of social justice. Hillary grew up in Dallas, Texas and Muskogee, Oklahoma. She lives in Brooklyn. hillaryjordan.com

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    Reviews for When She Woke

    4/5

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    • 3/5
      When She Woke by Hillary Jordan is futuristic take on the classic Nathaniel Hawthorne book, The Scarlet Letter.And it was really really cool and strange. But only for the first 50% of the book. Then it got a little too twisty-turny for my taste.Hannah is a religious girl in a futuristic time when there is a virus that makes the majority of women infertile. Because of this, many religious laws are created in order to protect the sanctity of life.Remind anyone else of The Handmaid’s Tale by Atwood?Hannah becomes romantically involved with her (married) pastor, For the full review, visit Love at First Book
    • 4/5
      Orginally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.Set in a future where church and state are the same thing and changing someone's DNA to change the pigmentation of their skin is a crime deterrent, we follow the story of Hannah, a woman (girl, really) who is convicted of murder after she has an abortion. Though it sounded like everything that would get my blood boiling (separation of church and state and women's rights being hot button topics for me), I thought Hillary Jordan handled this really well. Hannah's journey is a slow moving but interesting one, and I felt for her every step of the way. The writing wasn't as strong as it could have been, but I really appreciated that while the novel takes religion head on, it also makes a point to have Hannah's faith stay strong and point out that there is a good and bad to belief, just as there is in every other aspect of life.
    • 5/5
      Set in the not-too-distant future, Hannah finds herself on the wrong side of the law. Convicted villains are no longer imprisoned in the United States, they are chromed, their entire skin is genetically tinted a color, depending on their crime. Hannah is a red. She had an abortion. Roe v. Wade has been overturned and the lines between Church and State have blurred.I couldn't put this chilling book down. It is sci-fi, with a magnetic heroine that reminded me of Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Her story unfolds in layers. It is about the price of love, the enormity of shame, the power of self-discovery. I don't want to say too much more, or it will ruin the complexity of the book. Completely compelling!
    • 4/5
      Pros: intense character development, fascinating - if terrifying - world, positive message at the end, thought provokingCons: very dark tone, some disturbing scenes (religious / near violent)Hannah Payne has been sentenced to 16 years as a Chrome. Her skin has been turned a rich, vibrant red in order to denote her crime of murder, for aborting her child. The scourge that killed many and made women infertile has been cured and the Sanctity Of Life laws mark women like Hannah as outcasts. Her fundamentalist Christian upbringing did not prepare her for forbidden love with a married man or the horrors she would face as a Red. When She Woke is Hannah's story of endurance, enlightenment and ultimately self-empowerment.As with many dystopian novels, When She Woke is terrifying because in may ways it's easy to see this future coming about. In the book Roe v. Wade is overturned in order to help increase the population, an act some parties in the US are already trying to do, removing women's rights to control their own bodies and their bodies' reproduction. The idea of tracking released criminals is also one close to being realized, with the jump to making such a database open to the public only a small step further. While based on Nathanial Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, When She Woke is much darker. While she faces the reproach and repudiation of Christians, she also faces the lechery of those who would take advantage of the downtrodden, and a fundamentalist group the equivalent of the KKK, that targets and kills Chromes.The book was therefore unsettling on a number of levels. It reads as though it will have an unpleasant and depressing ending, yet at some point Hannah stops letting others decide her path and takes control of her own life. It's amazing seeing her go from a cowed if outspoken Christian girl to a fully liberated woman who questions the truth and motivations of others. One who knows the consequences of her actions and is willing to face them instead of trying to please others and their notions of repentance. Her character changes so completely - yet so honestly - as the book progresses that when you reach the end it's hard to remember who she was at the beginning of the book.Not for the faint of heart, this is a good thought-provoking read about personal rights, the justice system and being your own person.
    • 4/5
      Okay, I wrote one review and then scrapped it. I wish I could give this book 3.75 stars. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was worried I could finish it in the 14 days the library gave me, but in fact finished it in 3.

      It felt like this book was separate into 2 stories. Her time before she left the halfway house and the time after. What this book was missing compared to Mudbound (looooooved Mudbound!) was more character development. Yes, Hannah was done well, but I missed much from others. I didn't like that nothing more was done with Cole and Becca. I would have like to have seen what happened to Aidun after the end of the book. I felt the scene with Simone towards the end s random and not very likely.
    • 1/5
      I've been eagerly awaiting a new novel from Hillary Jordan since I put down her wonderful novel Mudbound. When I read the blurb on the ARC of this new one it was clear she was going to take me in a whole different direction. That was fine. I don't think a novelist has to keep revisiting the same places or emotional landscapes over and over again. If they are good, I'm willing to follow them nearly anywhere.

      (As is my wont, I don't rehash plot lines. You can pick up enough from the overview provided from Goodreads to get a feel for it.)

      When She Woke is utterly devoid of any of the poetry, imagery, heart, or soul of Mudbound. This mash-up of The Scarlet Letter and The Handmaid's Tale is a didactic mess. Mostly one-dimensional characters, predictable plot developments, and a general phone-it-in pall over the last half of the novel make this one impossible for me to recommend.

      I usually put down a book that isn't grabbing me, but this one did initially and in a big way. I would have quit reading it mid-journey had it come from anyone other than Ms. Jordan, but I was so sure that her voice would come through I kept plugging away and waiting for her to show up.

      She might as well have been Godot.

    • 5/5
      For all those who read and loved Hillary Jordan’s debut novel, Mudbound, this sophomore effort by Jordan will knock your socks off, but it couldn’t be more different from her first novel. She poses some provocative questions and the book is sure to be controversial. For instance, what if all the dire world problems that our leaders are coping with (fairly ineptly) were to actually happen? The Second Great Depression? Iran’s explosion of a nuclear bomb wiping out most of the west coast? How about a superclap pandemic? Or the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the implementation of strict new “Sanctity of Life” laws with horrific penalties. Jordan has created a world in the not too distant future and takes on the possibilities based on today’s headlines. As the story opens, with a nod to Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hannah Payne wakes up in the Chrome ward, where she finds her skin is bright, deep red. Her sentence for having an abortion is 30 days in the ward and the next 15 years as a pariah outside of prison where everyone will know her crime just by looking at her skin.The novel traces how she got to this point and where she will go from here in this chilling world that, unfortunately, is not that far-fetched. That’s what’s so terrifying about the narrative and Jordan’s stunning prose is the perfect vehicle for its dissemination. Hannah is lead through a modern day underground railroad, as she fights to get free from the powers that have turned our world upside down.Harrowing, thought-provoking, unsettling, riveting and a compelling page-turner, When She Woke cements Hillary Jordan’s reputation as a writer who is not afraid to confront the issues that will make readers squirm. Very highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Best book of the year? It's early yet, but I'm pretty confident that is a YES.
    • 2/5
      When She Woke is, essentially, a futuristic re-telling of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter with some Handmaiden's Tale thrown in. But this time, Hannah Payne's, the new Hester Prynne's, skin color is changed to a bright, stop-sign red after she was found guilty of aborting her unborn baby. In this world where the line between church and state has been virtually erased, those convicted of crimes have their skin color changed as part of their sentence, and as part of public shaming. Hannah refuses to name the baby's father, must serve time in jail, and find her way in a new world that despises her for her crime.I was somewhat confused by this book. First, with the heavy discussion of religion, heavily fundamentalist religious society, and theocratic government, I wondered if the book was meant to be an attack on religion or some sort of atheistic rant. Though, thankfully, criticisms of religion did not fully materialize, Jordan's depictions of religion, per-martial sex and other issues can be somewhat one-sided and uncomfortable for some readers. And, most importantly for young adult readers. Which brings me to the next thing I was confused about -what audience is this book for? Upon reading the blurb, I thought this was going to be a more adult-oriented book because of the material, but it seems like the publisher has been trying to market this as a YA novel, and some reviewers seemed to think it was a YA novel, so I'm confused as to who this book is written for.I was also confused about the book's direction and what message Jordan was trying to convey, as it constantly seemed like she was working up to something, but shied away from it. The story started out with an interesting concept that was well-constructed and unexpected, not to mention beautifully written. However, as Hannah moved through the different phases of the novel, the story seemed more and more scattered and more and more confused, especially when seemingly important plot points were not introduced until later on in the novel and had no prior buildup. I also had trouble with the frequent nods to The Handmaiden's Tale. That, combined with the Hawthorne-isms made When She Woke feel somewhat unoriginal and like it was retreading similar ideas already explored in literature.Thus, I ended up with mixed feelings on this book. Jordan started out with some great ideas, but the story seemed to get confused as it went on, so much that I almost got lost. I was also hoping this book would be thought-provoking, as some wonderful dystopians can be, but When She Woke was neither thought-provoking nor entertaining.
    • 5/5
      When she woke, she was red.In a dystopian future where an outbreak of a virulent STD results in states revoking Roe v. Wade and convicted criminals being genetically dyed so that their skin proclaims there crime, Hannah Payne is convicted of murder for having an abortion. Refusing to name the father of the fetus to preserve his high position in the nation's religious community and his marriage, Hannah will be a Red for the next sixteen years. But the act of becoming a Red alters Hannah's perception of her world and herself and sets her on a path to discover who she truly is.A fascinating reinterpretation of The Scarlet Letter, Jordan creates a fascinating narrative that is equal parts character study and dystopian novel. The future she creates is fascinating in its explorations of the penal system and our culture's reactions to epidemics and terrorism. Hannah's growth as a character is fascinating as she explores who she is as a person, her view and relationship with God, and the actions she's taken in her own life. How the two intertwine makes for an engrossing read that raises questions for the reader that linger long after the last page.
    • 4/5
      Hannah wakes in a cell, to find that her whole body is red - a punishment for the illegal abortion she'd had. In this future society, prison overcrowding has led to melachroming, in which convicted criminals have their DNA shifted to a color representing their crimes. Chromes face major discrimination, usually end up living in Chrome 'ghettos', and often disappear in Hannah's world. And now she must survive wearing one of the severest colors.This was a fascinating and fast-paced read that's a mix of the Scarlet Letter and The Handmaid's Tale. Hannah questions so much about her society, and the way she was raised, and so much is relevant to our society - what rights should embryos have? What rights should criminals have? Will we ever get past judging someone because of the color of his/her skin?I did have problems with the relationship with the evangelical church leader Hannah is hiding throughout the book. She's devoted to him, even when it risks both her own and other's lives, and I had a hard time finding any sympathy for those decisions, but overall, I found this to be a though-provoking and scary read.Highly Recommended.
    • 4/5
      Set in the not-to-distant future and in a society that has sought to redress its issues with religious fundamentalism, When She Woke features Hannah Payne, a young woman convicted of aborting her unborn child. She is sentenced to sixteen years living as a red Chrome, meaning that she has been injected with a virus that turns her skin blood red. Its plot line is very similar to that of The Scarlet Letter (by Nathaniel Hawthorne) and might be considered a homage to the Classic and/or a re-imagining of the tale from the woman's (Hester Prynne as Hannah Payne) point of view.

      Hillary Jordan has taken care to cast her characters in a realistic and human way. Hannah Payne expresses her doubts, angers, insecurities and new convictions in way that is believable. The reader may not find her logic unassailable; but her actions and new awareness bear the pedigree of experience. Aiden Dale, as the modern iteration of Hawthorne's Arthur Dimmesdale, is a morally complex man drawn with true pathos and much less of a villain for his cowardice than the original. Jordan has fleshed out the emotional landscape of this story without excessive melodrama and provided a way to connect with the Classic. That is not to say that the story doesn't stand well on its own, because it does. Without having read The Scarlet Letter, a reader would be interested in the characters' psychological development and perhaps question his or her own convictions as they travel with Hannah on her literal and interior journey:


      "Was that all her religious beliefs had ever been then, a set of precepts so deeply inculcated in her that they became automatic, even instinctive? Hear the word God, think He. See the misery of humankind, blame Eve. Obey your parents, be a good girl, vote Trinity Party, never sit with your legs apart. Don't question, just do as you're told."
      What might give a reader pause is that there is a fine line between honoring a Classic such as The Scarlet Letter and, being unoriginal. The Scarlet Letter certainly provided the creative impetus for Ms Jordan; and despite her claims that The Handmaid's Tale (by Margaret Atwood) was not an influence, the comparisons are inescapable. The influence of The Handmaid's Tale may not have been direct, but Ms Jordan's invites the comparison by creating scenes that are strikingly similar in tone and substance to Ms Atwood's own dystopian novel. Drawing so heavily upon the Classic, and coincidentally upon Ms Atwwod's work, for plot points and character creation may give credence to the charge that Ms Jordan may have borrowed too heavily. Still, what Hillary Jordan brought to the table was a fresh, credible voice to the plight of a woman caught between a rock and a hard place.

      Heather Corrigan is renders the text very nicely. The listener will be easily able to discern between interior thought and dialogue and, the mood(s) of the protagonist, Hannah Payne, from whose POV the story is told. Though Heather Corrigan sounds younger than the protagonist, her skill set in bringing Hannah to life is not to be denied. One minor quibble is that the word is "Chrome," not "Crone." Once you know what the word is supposed to be, it's all good :-)

      Redacted from the original blog review at dog eared copy, When She Woke; 01/26/2012.
    • 4/5
      This novel is inspired on The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, however, rather than use the story as a map for her own, Hillary Jordan jumps off from this point in order to create her own unsettling and disturbing world.

      To me, the descriptions of the over-arching power of the church were just as frightening as the treatment of the chromes. I found it very interesting to read of the power of the "Texas Internet Authority" on the same day that many sites had willingly shut down in protest of SOPA. Clearly, a world such as Jordan writes about, is not that far removed from our own.

      As a character, Hannah shows immense growth, though her epiphanies sometimes seem to come unprovoked and are a little difficult to believe. I found Kayla to be more interesting and wish that she had featured more. As for Aiden, his acceptance of Hannah and willingness to give up everything that he has worked for doesn't feel real to me. I simply don't see a man that created the ultimate public image as allowing that to be threatened by an illegitimate child and illicit affair.

      Overall, the novel is very well written and the reader remains enthralled while Hannnah experiences one terror after another, forcing her to take control of her life in a way that she never expected.

      > Some discussion of adult themes such as sex, rape and murder makes this novel inappropriate for young audiences. I recommend Grade 10 and up.



    • 4/5
      An interesting and engrossing dystopian take on The Scarlet Letter that takes place in a near future America that has become an oppressive Christian fundamentalist theocracy. Contrivances make the ending a bit of a disappointment. Although published for adults, this is a story I can see older teens liking, especially those who are fans of dystopian fiction.
    • 4/5
      I still can't decide if I liked this book or didn't like it. I certainly read it, and I absolutely can't get it out of my head after reading it. But I found it fairly disturbing in concept - I mean, I think I understand what Jordan was doing, and I think it worked. There were also aspects that pissed me off and made me want to throw it across the room at times - and those are things I won't detail here because I don't want to put spoilers up. That said, it was a good read. It's not at all escapist reading, but it's worth a read, and hopefully it will make you think as much as I've thought about it since finishing it.
    • 5/5
      Read from September 23 to 26, 2011I was so excited by the premise of this book and it really didn't disappoint. I loved The Handmaid's Tale earlier this year and WHEN SHE WOKE has a lot of the same qualities...overly religious and oppressive government, some kind of illness that causes infertility (kind of like Bumped). In Hannah Payne's world, it's more like we're back in the 1600s with the Puritans in charge (or the religious right, maybe the Tea Party, has taken over). And yes, this is very much based on The Scarlet Letter...which I hated it when I read it in high school. However, after reading about this HP, I'm kind of interested in reading about the original scarlet.Very good read.
    • 5/5
      I have a thing for dystopian novels but this novel blew me away. The setting is at times so scarily realistic and and at other times so creatively futuristic. I love the parallelism to The Scarlet Letter (even though I was never a fan of this book when I read it in high school). I wish the ending had given the reader more but I'm thankful to walk away feeling invested enough in these characters to care what happens next. Now I want to read Jordan's debut novel Mudbound.
    • 5/5
      This was such a wonderful read. I finished it in less than 2 days, which for me is pretty quick - mainly because I just needed to see who she would be at the end. The best way I can describe the story in short hand is that it is as if The Scarlet Letter and The Handmaid's Tale had a love affair in Dallas, TX. I love the futuristic aspects that highlight the things that we might otherwise take for granted. They also serve the valid purpose of putting the nation in such an extreme place that the extreme reactions seem very plausible. The protagonist, Hannah, is not only believable to me, but feels real. I identify with her life and experiences in very personal ways. I have lived these emotions and confusions over religion, feminism, my place in this world - and the place I want in this world.

      I did have a little trouble with some of the pacing, but that could just be my own personal issues with having patience. The suspense feels so drawn out in some ways, and there are moments when I am beating my head against the book screaming, "Don't you see what is happening???" But that's the point. She doesn't see things in the beginning, but by the end she can see things very clearly. Her inner transition is what grips me, since it's so close to home. I like that her inner dialogue is timely without overtaking the action of the moment.

      The crafting of the novel also strikes me as poetic, using lovely threads of imagery and repetition. I like the familiarity of the themes and symbols and adore the physical sensuality of the book. Even before you read the sensuality, you see and feel it on the book itself: First the livid red and black, then when you feel the suede-like cover (at least of my paperback version). It is as though you can touch the character's soft red skin as you read the book.

      Definitely recommend this work.
    • 3/5
      Is this young adult? Hmm... doesn't appear like it's supposed to be, but it comes across like it was written for a younger audience, or perhaps for more naive readers. It also has a very "let's explore Christianity" feel to it - I know that the novel is supposed to be an examination of right-wing fanaticism gone awry, but there is just a bit too much exposition on different religious beliefs (show, don't lecture, Ms. Jordan). That, and there's a "feminist" twist to it that comes across as naive - sort of like the author took a feminism course in university and got hung up on the belief that feminists were lesbian and/or extremists. This tiny "foray" into lesbian-feminism was odd and out of place with the tone of the rest of the novel so I suspect it was there for shock value mostly. I think the chroming idea is fantastic. But this was not explored... the nature of the new criminal system was not explored, and neither was the society that generated this new "system". The story focuses, for the first half, on how much in love she is with the father of the baby and how she can't name him because that will expose him as a hypocrite (the fact that he *is* one is beside the point I suppose). And the second half is focused on some "underground railroad" that had a lecture-y feel to it (exploring the religious beliefs of different groups). Don't worry though- for variety there are also anti-spousal abuse and anti-child molestation lectures to be found.Nearly all the reviews I've read compare this to the Handmaid's Tale... Jordan's writing is not nearly as sophisticated, nuanced or mature as Atwood's and it's actually kinda insulting to Atwood to suggest this is anything like her novel, except for, perhaps, the premise of women as breeders. Not that I like Atwood (her writing is too literary for me), but you'd never mistake Atwood's works as being meant for young adults.
    • 4/5
      Wow what a fantastic take on the Scarlet Letter. A dystopian novel, church and state no longer separate and individual freedoms out the window. Interesting characters and fast paced, read it straight through.
    • 3/5
      Another dystopia novel but with an interesting premise. In the unspecified further, after a series of events drives the United States into more conservative beliefs, crimes are punished with melachroming - the skin of the perpetrator is semi-permanently dyed a color to match the crime. For young Hannah, that color is red for the murder of her unborn and illegitimate child, conceived with the charismatic , married preacher of her church. Hannah endures the trial without revealing the father of the child or the abortionist and is sentenced to years of red skin. Her father finds a safe house for her but it turns out to be more than Hannah can endure. She strikes out on her own with another chrome but they quickly learn the world is very dangerous for young women with red skin. The author hits a few points about religion and ethics too hard and this is not a cheerful story but it's a clever dystopian view, the possibility of which is not too difficult to believe.
    • 2/5
      How absolutely cool is the premise of this book? In this dystopian society, skin is genetically mutated a certain color to paint convicts to represent their crimes. Red skin means murderer. In this society, red skin also means someone who has had an abortion, a procedure that has been deemed illegal now that Roe V. Wade has been overturned. This novel had the potential to be as frightening as Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, a novel that didn't seem entirely far fetched when it was published, and still does not in a world where women still have to fight for their right to have complete control over their bodies. I think books of this nature are especially important given the current fight over birth control that has cropped up as candidates fight to challenge Obama in this year's election. People like Rush Limbaugh really exist. There are groups of people out there who want a world like this one to be the one we live in. Books like this one are almost realistic fiction when you think about it like that. Terrifying.The novel starts out strong. Hannah Payne has recently been transformed to become a Chrome, her skin mutated Red, to represent her crime of abortion. She must live her days on camera inside of jail, where her every move is being broadcasted to people at home for their entertainment. Experiencing with Hannah her first moments as a Chrome, alone in solitary, is deeply intimate. Because of her perceived crime Hannah is subjected to humiliation and psychological torture. It was very interesting and painful to be inside of Hannah's head as she dealt with this experience.Hannah is soon released and dropped off in a religious facility aimed at "curing" women chromes and bringing them back to the light of Jesus or whatever. This section of the book actually wasn't half bad. There were definitely some great points made using Hannah's experiences in that facility; perhaps Jordan should not have been so heavy handed with the message and allowed the "evil" characters to be humanized a bit. A particularly frightening thing about this facility was that Hannah and others were forced to create and carry around dolls that represented the "child" they aborted.Once Hannah leaves the facility things get a little far fetched. She joins a sort of underground program put in place by those that oppose the new government and after that it is one unbelievable situation after another. Hannah's narrative is also a little weird. She still considers herself a murderer, even if she doesn't believe she deserves all of the ways she's been treated, and that is never resolved. I also didn't buy her loyalty to the father of her baby, or why she would put entire groups of people at risk just to see him one last time. Also, there is a brief segue into lesbianism that would have had more meaning if it had, well, meant anything at all and didn't seem to be just a convenient plot point to represent Hannah's supposed awakening.I think this book would have been far better served if it had focused on Hannah being made an outcast by society as a whole, and the treatment she would have received trying to live a normal life as a Red, in a world where abortion is legally viewed as murder.I'm mixed on whether or not I'd recommend this one. It was a fairly enjoyable read, the idea of chromes was fantastic, the feminist themes were important, but in the end it fell short of everything it was trying to accomplish. I'd much rather recommend The Handmaid's Tale instead.
    • 3/5
      Reading the blurb of this book I was surprised by the science-fiction style nature that the author had chosen to take, particularly as her novel Mudbound could't be further from it in every way. The book started well, setting up the dystopian futuristic Universe in which people who commit crimes are forced to live with the consequences by having coloured chromes injected into their bloodstreams according to the crimes they have committed. The author had clearly put a lot of thought into this aspect of the book, with mentions of ghettos for chromed people. I also liked her description of what happens to people who miss their renewal shots and are force to wean off of the chrome. However, after the initial section the book takes a slightly downward turn. The detail seems to become less and less as the book goes on, with half-hearted attempts at explaining aspects of society which have the potential to be fascinating, in particular the gangs who hunt chromed people down. It was like she ran out of steam. I found the fact that the main protagonist is in captivity in one way or another for the entire book distressing, and a little claustrophobic to read. The last 50 pages are also completely bizarre, and I couldn't seem to find a justification for why the author chose to take the story in this direction. A great idea, but sadly not quite 100% followed through. However, I enjoyed Hillary Jordan's style of writing as well as her portrayal of the characters.
    • 4/5
      In a near-future America, abortion is a crime -- and Hannah Payne has just been convicted of murder. To reduce overcrowding in the federal prison system, the government has developed the process of melachroming, altering the color of a person's skin based on their crimes. Hannah is now bright red, a Chrome, and everyone who looks at her knows exactly what she is. Hannah could have reduced her sentence by revealing the name of the baby's father, or by betraying the abortionist who did the procedure, but she did neither. Now, she must deal with the realities of life as an outcast -- a life more dangerous than she could have imagined.I get "dystopia fatigue" fairly quickly, but it's been long enough since I read one that I was able to really enjoy this one. It has a few really good points: there's a logical explanation for why society has developed in the way it has, and though Hannah's family and social group is ultra-conservative, there are indications that not all of society follows the same pattern (some dystopian societies are more homogenous than credulity allows). On the other hand, I didn't like the ending -- some things were wrapped up too neatly, while others were left open enough that it almost seems as if it is allowing for a sequel (though I don't think a sequel is called for). I did like the parallels with The Scarlet Letter throughout the book, which never overpowered the story but dovetailed nicely in the small details.
    • 2/5
      Not as good as her first novel.
    • 5/5
      When she woke, her skin was bright red, the color for people who take another human's life. So begins Hannah Payne's life as an outcast who aborted her bastard child to save her lover's reputation in a futuristic US where a super-STD has rendered most of the world sterile and abortion and children out of wedlock remain illegal in the US even as the population rebounds. While states first enacted them, the Federal government followed suit and we are now a fundermentalist Christian theocracy that turns people to a different color based on the severity of the crime and releases them into society that despises them and leaves them to fend for themselves. I adored the ending.You must listen to the audiobook version of this story. Heather Corrigan displays a fantastic range of male and female voices and regional accents that I could easily believe that the character was Southern. When I download e-audiobooks from the library, I do so with the intention of completing chores around the house. I couldn't do any chores with this audiobook because I'd stop in the middle of whatever I was doing and just listen. Sometimes I embroider when listening to audiobooks. Couldn't with this one because I became so engrossed in it that I put it down not knowing that I did. Highly recommend it.
    • 5/5
      When She Woke is set in a not so distant America, where Religious Fundamentalism is the rule of the day and instead of incarcerating most criminals, they are instead injected with a virus that changes their skin color, thus identifing their crime. Hannah Payne is turned red after having an abortion, which is considered murder in the new society. Hannah's sentence is particularly harsh because she has refused to name the father of her child. As Hannah struggles to re-enter the world as a red, she is exposed to the hate of the world and begins to question everything she has ever been taught, including her faith.The first half of When She Woke is a slightly futuristic retelling of The Scarlet Letter. Hannah Payne goes through many of the same struggles with her faith as Hester Pryne did. But then for me, the book took a hard turn in the second half and almost turned into a psychological thriller, which I really enjoyed. Yes the book has many similarities with other dystopian novels, particularly The Handmaid's Tale, but I still found it to be an interesting read. The book does have a heavy handed vision of a religious American state in which Roe is overturned, but there is some interesting commentary on America, fear, and personal religion.
    • 3/5
      This was a mixed bag for me - I enjoyed the premise of a dystopian future that represented evangelical conservatism and anti-feminism run amok, but the message was a bit too obvious for me. The plot also wandered and included too many different threads.
    • 3/5
      I really liked the first half of this book, but did feel the second half was a little of a let down. Won't go into details so as not to spoil the read. Overall a good book, just thought it could have been better.
    • 3/5
      Although this book will resonate loudest with an American audience brought up on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, When she Woke has a message for all of us in a time when US presidential candidates range from Mormon Conservative to far right Christian Fundamental. Set in a post-pandemic, post-Depression, post-nuclear future, this is the story of Hannah Payne, a Hester Prynne for the mid-21st Century, who is convicted of murder by the theocratic government after having an abortion and is, literally, coloured scarlet to reflect the nature of her crime. There is nothing too improbable in the near-future scenario Jordan imagine – except for the colour change – and this dystopian tale is well-written and just a little bit frightening.