I Who Have Never Known Men

By:

Jacqueline Harpman

Spice Scale

Number of books

1 Published

KU

❌

Audiobook

✅

Series Status

Complete

Interconnected

N/A

Overall Rating

Coming Soon

I Who Have Never Known Men follows an unnamed young woman, the only child among thirty-nine imprisoned adult women, held in a stark underground cage by silent male guards whose purpose remains a mystery. With no memory of the outside world and enduring a monotonous existence of fear and isolation, she observes her companions' resignation while her own curiosity sparks quiet rebellion and a drive to understand human connection, emotion, and freedom. When the guards abruptly vanish, the women emerge into a vast, barren landscape, forcing the narrator to lead their survival amid existential questions about humanity, loss, and the unknown forces that shaped their captivity.

Jamie’s review

Very mixed feelings about this book! On one hand, I could not put it down. I loved the writing. I loved our nameless FMC and the 39 women, I loved the concept and the post-apocalyptic setting. On the other hand, I NEED ANSWERS.

I feel like fans of the movie Triangle of Sadness would love this book. And I DID love this book until I finished it and wanted to throw it across the room.

40 women are kept in a cage in an underground bunker for years patrolled by male guards that won't speak to them. They don't know why they are there or how they got there. Then they learn about the outside work…. or what's left of it.

The humanity and friendship make this story beautiful. And there are no men, so that's a huge positive 😉 But if you're looking for a tidy feel good book or a mindless escape read, this ain't it.

I give it 4.5/5 even though I am NOT happy about it.

I feel like fans of the movie Triangle of Sadness would love this book. And I DID love this book until I finished it and wanted to throw it across the room.

The humanity and friendship make this story beautiful. And there are no men, so that's a huge positive 😉 But if you're looking for a tidy feel good book or a mindless escape read, this ain't it.

I give it 4.5/5 even though I am NOT happy about it.