Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Quando as mulheres eram dragoas by Kelly Barnhill

14 reviews

bubblegirl858's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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For my 2023 book rating system I gave this book 5 stars. This was our January Book Club read and I really enjoyed this book, even though it also frustrated me. It was a highly feminist novel told from a point of view that is not often seen, a child who is being forced to grow up too quickly in a world that doesn't explain how anything works and actively tries to suppress information. I really enjoyed the whole plot of women turning into dragons. It is a fantastic idea. Setting it in the 50's was also such an amazing way to show how men, the government, the public in general, and women who have internalized misogyny treat other women. The suppression of women's issues as being "sensitive" or "vulgar" is insane to most modern women, but it is how the world has always been and continues to be in some places, even if the normalization of speaking about women's issues and rights grows. This novel perfectly illustrated how children are taught to hate and be bigoted, how women are taught to shrink themselves and make themselves more palatable, and how love is love. It is not a choice to be gay or straight, it is not taught, it is just how it is. The only downsides/detractions that I had about this book was that it spent the majority of the time in her childhood, and then when it skipped to her teenage/young adult life the plot moved blindingly fast and we didn't get nearly enough time to understand the woman who she became. I would have liked to have explored a bit more of her adult life. The characters in this book were equally loveable and hateable. An equal balance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol

Minor: Physical abuse, Blood, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail

helenferg's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

4.25

challenging emotional hopeful reflective

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, War

Further warning for descriptions of menstruation.

kelseyr713's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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"He looked at the window, toward the sky. In a brief, wild moment, I imagined it filled with dragons. Burning houses. Burning buildings. Swallowing men whole. I imagined the entire Mass Dragoning happening again, but bigger this time—every city, every town, every block, dark wings and sharp jaws and bright scales crowding the sky. I imagined myself unleashed, unhooked, unraveled, an explosion of heat and rage and frustration. My bones felt hot. My skin felt tight. The air in my lungs seemed to sizzle."

This alternate history fiction is a love letter to women, libraries, and science. Under the surface, it’s also challenging notions of what should be considered "normal" and encouraging not ignorance and fear, but love and acceptance. I loved and devoured it.

Content warnings: homophobia, parental emotional abuse, death of parents, cancer, body horror (although I personally found the dragoning described beautifully, this may not be true for all readers).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Body horror, Terminal illness, Grief, Abandonment, Dysphoria

Minor: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Murder, Pregnancy