Anna

Moving between two anxiety-inducing settings—a postapocalyptic dystopia rife with gendered abuse and a small, isolated enclave that seems perfect but harbors dark secrets—Smith (In Search of Gods and Heroes) attempts to craft a personal story of female resilience, but the empowering moments are overshadowed by relentless trauma. Following the devastation of a vaguely described global war, the protagonist has spent two years surviving in the hellscape of the Unlands—until scavenger Will captures her and brands her as a slave. She protects her selfhood by assuming the false name “Anna” and goes through the motions of obedience as a method of self-preservation. But Will is determined to break Anna’s spirit and force her to embrace her role as his possession. After many months, the now pregnant Anna manages to escape and makes it to the relative safety of a cooperative homestead where she prepares to welcome her son. But the horrors of her past are not as far away as she hoped. Smith presents a cynical view of human relationships while offering little psychological exploration, giving the story a cinematic feel heavy on voyeuristically framed abuse and lacking the emotional depth that would help readers empathize with Anna. What catharsis there is proves insufficient to justify the darkness readers must wade through to get to it. [em](May) [/em]