The Chaperone by M. Hendrix

The Chaperone by M. Hendrix was published by Sourcebooks Fire on June 6, 2023.

Publisher's summary:

"Hendrix's dystopian society is somewhat of a Handmaid's Tale for YA, and offers a dark world with a glimmer of hope."— Booklist, STARRED review

Like every young woman in New America, Stella knows the rules:

Deflect attention.

Abstain from sin.

Navigate the world with care.

Give obedience.

Embrace purity.

Respect your chaperone.

Girls in New America must have a chaperone with them at all times.  Because of this, Stella is never alone.  She can't go out by herself or learn about the world.  She can't even spend time with boys except at formal Visitations.  Still, Stella feels lucky that her chaperone, Sister Helen, is like a friend to her.

And then the unthinkable happens.  Sister Helen dies suddenly, and Stella feels lost.  Especially when she's assigned a new chaperone just days later.

Sister Laura is... different.  She has radical ideas about what Stella should be doing.  She leaves Stella alone in public and even knows how to get into the "Hush Hush" parties where all kinds of forbidden things happen.  As Stella spends more time with Sister Laura, she begins to question everything she's been taught.  What if the Constables' rules don't actually protect girls?  What if they were never meant to keep them safe?

I am quite familiar with The Handmaid's Tale story even though I've never read the book.  I tried the Kindle sample of the book in 2022, but I did not care for the writing style.  It was too disjointed for me.  Instead, I watched the Hulu television series, which I enjoyed, even though the show is crazy.

As I began reading The Chaperone, I saw the obvious similarities to The Handmaid's Tale.  While I found the early part of the story to be interesting, I also felt like I was reading a story that I already knew.

Stella goes to one of the "Hush Hush" parties.  It's quickly apparent to the reader that the parties are for sex only, and mainly so that the boys can rape the girls.  Stella is a bit slow to figure it out, which I found annoying.  She comes very close to being raped.

After that, Stella decides that she wants out, and this was where the story finally became compelling for me.  I was quite engaged from that point on.

Overall, this book is very good to excellent.  It is set up for a sequel, so hopefully another book will be written.