Review: "I Am Margaret" by Corinna Turner

Hey guys! It's Catholic Blog Week, hurrah! I'm here today to review the first book of one of my favorite Catholic contemporary series, the I Am Margaret series by Corinna Turner. 

This book was recommended to me by my friend Merry, and both of us date the day our friendship really started from the time I actually read it. (I am absolutely notorious for Not Taking Recommendations Unless I Trust the Recommender.) As it turns out, I really, really loved it. Partly because the thing that I didn't realize before reading this series is that there is a serious lack of Catholic representation in fiction.

Sure, maybe there are a few mainstream books with a Catholic character or two. Though none that I can think of off the top of my head. And there are definitely several books that are written by Catholics that showcase Catholic characters. Regina Doman's and Lena Donellan's work comes to mind. However, those are the only ones I can think of at this point.

But here comes this series, which is four glorious books (+ several side books!) of Catholic representation, with all the struggles and trials of being Catholic, along with all the inside jokes and joys. And I didn't know how much I needed it, how much I craved it, until this series. It just meant so much to me to see myself represented in fiction. 

And as I type that, it's bringing to mind all of the cries in the popular book blog/bookstagram world "more ____ representation in fiction"! And that blank is filled with many things: "autistic", "people of color", "Pacific Islander", and so on. And that's great! This is not a competition--I want those people to have representation in fiction, too! But somehow, "Catholic" is not a word that ever fills in that blank. We are not a "popular" minority. And I'm used to that. After all, Jesus did not promise a path of roses during which one would be continuously represented in fiction... 

...and also, as Flannery O'Connor and J. R. R. Tolkien would be quick to remind me if they were alive, a book doesn't have to have Catholics in it to be a Catholic book.

But despite that, I am so grateful for the brave authors who represent us in fiction, even though it's not popular, and even though it doesn't pay well. They are the best! And I'm just going to say it, real fast, so someone does: we need more Catholic representation in fiction. 😊

Alright, mini rant aside, on to the review! 

In Margo's world, if you don't pass your Sorting at 18 you are recycled. Literally.
Margaret Verrall dreams of marrying the boy she loves and spending her life with him. But she’s part of the underground network of Believers – and with the persecution that carries the death penalty.
And there’s just one other problem.
She’s going to fail her Sorting.
But a chance to take on the system ups the stakes beyond mere survival.
Now she has to break out of the Facility - or face the worst martyrdom of all.
Conscious Dismantlement.

Worldbuilding/Writing Style

This book is set in a world where the ethos of a culture where euthanasia and abortion and things like that are practiced is taken to its logical end--all the people who are not deemed "perfect" are dismantled for their organs, no one is allowed to have more than two babies, and girls are implanted with contraceptive chips at a very young age.
Oh, and also Catholicism is illegal. And punishable by dismantlement. Oh wait, unless you're a priest or someone who spreads the faith, in which case it's punishable by conscious dismantlement. As in, you're awake while they take your organs. 
And the underground Catholics speak Latin. (This alone would make me love the books, tbh.) 
Can we talk about how realistic this whole thing is? Because it is. And it's both my favorite and quite, quite scary. 

The writing style is overall good, although there are a few small flubs, parts where it suddenly feels like it's written by an author at a small publishing company. (No offense! But there's a certain feel for that. And mostly she doesn't have it, except for the few parts where she does.)

Plot

The plot revolves mainly around Margo's time in the Facility waiting for her dismantlement--because she can't do math, she's considered "less than", and good only for being recycled for organs. But somehow, even though her existence only takes place within the four walls of the Facility, the plot is engaging and neither slow, nor boring. And there's a lot of possible spoilers, so I'm just going to leave it at that. 

One of my favorite things about the plot is the way that Catholicism is worked in in small ways, like the Eucharist and other sacraments mentioned (when the underground church can get them) and the prayers that Margo says before bed...

Also, one of the big themes that gets developed here, and even more later in the series, is the theme of forgiveness, and that sounds overly simplistic, but it's handled delicately, and I like it a lot.

Characters
Margo is obviously a really interesting character--she has known since she was very small that she would be dismantled for body parts when she turned eighteen, but she's also Catholic...so she's trying to deal with her incarceration and coming dismantlement in a Catholic way, but it doesn't come easily to her. The whole doing-the-good-is-what-Catholics-strive-for-but-it's-HARD thing is something that the author really shows well in her. Also, I really like how compassionate she is to the other girls in the Facility. Many of them are there because they are not as smart as others, or because they are mentally challenged in some way, and she treats them with the same respect and compassion that she treats those of "normal" ability. But at the same time, she has a temper that gets her into trouble. The author does a great job of balancing good and relatable. Oh, and did I mention Margo's a writer? 

Bane is another interesting character--the author does a good job of making characters whose interesting circumstances add to the book! (Back to that again in a sec for Jon...) He's not Catholic, but he hates his family, who have always discriminated against him because, in this dystopian world which has a commitment to "genetic purity", he looks a little too "dark" to be Caucasian. (I KNOW. His family is the WORST.) So he's been "adopted" by Margo's family, and they've been planning to get married since they were comparatively small. But when she fails her Sorting, he suddenly realizes that that might not happen. And for a character with that much temper, that's not acceptable. Which leads him into some very interesting circumstances, both thematically and plot-wise. Which are also spoilery, so...yeah.

Jon's part in the story is very much #spoilers, but he has interesting circumstances as well--he's Bane's best friend besides Margo, he's Catholic, and his parents run a hotel-safehouse. But oh right, he's blind...which means he's going to get dismantled, too.

One of my faaaaaaaavorite things about this series is the excellent priesthood representation. Fr. Peter and Fr. Mark are both so great--spiritual fathers and friends to Margo and Bane, dedicated to bringing the sacraments to their flock, and willing to risk horrible martyrdom. But at the same time, they're also people, and I just...they're done SO well!

Romance
Margo + Bane is ridiculously cute. And I found it a really interesting choice by the author that it's actually between a Catholic and a non-Catholic, but the non-Catholic (Bane, if that wasn't obvious) accepts Margo's faith. It's an unconventional choice for a book by a Catholic author, but I really, really like it. 

Content

Fairly gory/graphic/gross martyrdom scenes, death, a scene where a man is "pressing his attentions" on a woman--somewhere in the middle of the graphicness scale, some violence/injuries, two characters having to pretend to be married in an slightly innuendo-strewn way, a couple of kisses.
There was swearing in the first edition of the series, but in the second edition, it was edited out. (I honestly thought it added realism and didn't mind--it was nothing horrible.)

Overall Rating

I have read this series SO many times in recent years, so I'm very, very biased...but I'm going to give this book 4.5 stars! I could read it over and over and over (and indeed do so on a fairly regular basis) and still love it.

Reminds me of...
The only book I can think of that has a similar Christian-dystopian vibe is the A Time to Die series by Nadine Brandes, which I also adore.

This is usually where I end my reviews, but I can't resist adding a few words/aesthetics about the rest of the series, because even though I don't have time to do reviews of all of them, I love all of them. Please bear with me if I make a mistake about which book has which themes or events--I've read these in quick succession so many times that they've bled together in my mind a bit! XD

The Three Most Wanted

what can humans endure//friends supporting each other all the way//tragedy, and ironic tragedy at that//the ridiculous Italian resistance//hearing about the awesome Vatican//partings//reunions//bears//self-accusation and self-forgiveness//

Liberation

let's spread justice//nuns with guns//so much hard, hard forgiveness//NFP jokes//the sacrament of Confession//losses that hit hard//gains that hit hard//problems that hit hard//Theology of the Body 101 in the middle of the Mediterranean at midnight//self-sacrifice//

Bane's Eyes

grief//excellent grief/depression/anxiety rep//more self-sacrifice//unusual friendships//losses that hit hard, again//awesome wins//relatable levels of exhaustion//Sacraments!//more hard forgiveness, but it hits harder this time//perfect wrap-up, imo//

Brothers

Prequel novella about Margo's brother, Kyle//found family//fugitives from "justice"//priestly vocations//explosions//KYLE//Sacraments//grief//KYLE//

The Siege of Reginald Hill

Sequel novella about Kyle, again//very parallel to Brothers//but harder hitting//Vatican strike teams//grief//priestly vocations//the Holy Spirit//KYLE//BANE//KYLLLLLLLLLLE//self-sacrifice//Sacraments//sort of martyrdom//Africa//

Have you read this series? Do you have any other books about Catholics to recommend? Do you like dystopian in general? (cuz if you do, you should read this)