Author: Martti Nelson
Genre: Humor; Fiction
Publish Date: May 14th 2020
Publisher: Radish
LYSSA STRATA, A modern take on the play "Lysistrata" by Aristophanes.*A Thank you to Author Martti Nelson for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a honest and unbiased review*
She’s mad as hell, and she’s not gonna give it up anymore.
Librarian Lyssa Strata has long begged the Town Council of Athena, Massachusetts, to repeal its disgusting old misogynist and racist laws. But the Council, an all-male entity for 400 years, has blown her off as a redheaded spinster—who, according to a 1673 law, should legally be run out of town at the end of a musket upon a poor fiscal year. So Lyssa seeks to invade the male bastion as the first woman ever on the Council. The men in charge treat her candidacy as a hilarious joke, which does not impress the female townsfolk.
The women are damn tired of being second-class citizens. For example, it’s illegal for them to use a toaster, as the manipulation of buttons is thought to impede brainwaves and cause menstruation. They decide to wield the only power left to them: Lyssa leads them on a sex strike as a revolt against inequality. The fellas are enthusiastic supporters! LOL no, they protest and issue death threats. Yet, when the national news shows up to cover the contentious election, everyone finally starts to listen to the ladies.
In retaliation against the motley crew of sex-strikers, the Council enacts the antique laws they assured Lyssa were merely charming historical trivia. She is accused of witchcraft and thrown in the stocks, as one does in 2020. Now this bookish dork, once content to hide in the stacks and distribute quiet feminism via checkout, is burning down her torture device and sending the evils of the past to the dustbin. When you want something done, do it yourself.
Or don’t do it—they’re on a sex strike, after all.
Rating
Hello Fellow Readers,
Right now I think we all need some humor, in between all this Darkest Timeline nonsense, a book that can literally make me laugh out loud is a godsend. This is exactly what I needed, because honestly I need some adult humor since I've sort of been in a YA fantasy/Romance binge, and it's just too much. Now, let me just say that while this is a humorous book, it does deal with some themes I think really needs be highlighted and Nelson does it in a way that expresses it's importance and can also make you laugh.
First of all I love Lyssa. You see her go from a mousy librarian that can't even talk properly in public to a bad-ass librarian that stands up for herself and what is right. It was lovely to see this transformation and be a part of it, because boy was it a wild ride. Lyssa and Misty's friendship was, in my opinion, the highlight of the book and such a lovely thing to read about. It's been a long time since I've read a book with such a close female friendship that I almost thought it was the romance.
Of course, the real romance was Lyssa and Ben which although important didn't take away from the plot. Most of the time when a romance is introduced, it seems to take center stage but Nelson didn't do that and I am so grateful. I don't want to give too much away but this book did play with my emotions. One minute I was laughing, the next I was angry at how Lyssa was treated, and then I was back to laughing. I did devour this book in a day because once I started reading Lyssa Strata I couldn't stop.
There was something I did take issue with, I feel that there should have been more consequences for what Lyssa went through. I mean she almost got her nose broken with a potato, but we don't really see any actions taken for that. I guess I'm just vindictive but I was hoping for some really bad news for these asses to bask in. When that didn't come I guess I was just a little let down.
Overall, I really loved this book, and can't wait to see what else Nelson writes in the future.
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