meganmalonefranklin's review
dark
mysterious
tense
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Death of parent, Blood, Misogyny, Torture, Lesbophobia, Gore, and Abandonment
alexandryareads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Torture, Sexism, Grief, and Blood
Moderate: Biphobia, Police brutality, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, and Racism
Minor: Deportation, Animal cruelty, and Suicidal thoughts
editoryalizing's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Racism, Death of parent, Biphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Transphobia and Xenophobia
bookdragon217's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
"From what she had seen in America, everything was simultaneously right and wrong. Like witches. We still thought of them as something taboo, criminal, bad, but there was a weird space where because of capitalism, they were still everywhere because they made money. It seemed to her that capitalism allowed anything to exist as long as someone could exploit it for money and power. And those things seemed to make room only for loneliness when it came to most people."
I really wanted to love The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings but it left me feeling underwhelmed. The book had strong writing and the world building in the first half was flawless. The social commentary was thought-provoking but was never explored deeply enough to add layers to the plot. It remained quiet when it should have been louder considering the level of horror being experienced by women and queer people in this dystopian world. The second half of the book felt rushed and almost like it switched genres leaving the climax and ending to feel anti-climactic.
I will say that the themes it touched on are what kept me going: mother-daughter relationships, abandonment, being biracial, intolerance, codified oppression of women and queerness, witchcraft and nature, patriarchy and misogyny, marriage and religion and gendered expectations. I do wish this was a series because this was definitely a good starting point for this world and would leave room for further exploration and character development. The bones of this story was quality and I would definitely read more from this author based on the writing style alone. Giddings did have a lot to say in this one. I do wish this one was longer so it could have packed a bigger punch because it had great potential. I would recommend this one for the gorgeous writing. Thanks to @amistadbooks for the gifted copy.
I really wanted to love The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings but it left me feeling underwhelmed. The book had strong writing and the world building in the first half was flawless. The social commentary was thought-provoking but was never explored deeply enough to add layers to the plot. It remained quiet when it should have been louder considering the level of horror being experienced by women and queer people in this dystopian world. The second half of the book felt rushed and almost like it switched genres leaving the climax and ending to feel anti-climactic.
I will say that the themes it touched on are what kept me going: mother-daughter relationships, abandonment, being biracial, intolerance, codified oppression of women and queerness, witchcraft and nature, patriarchy and misogyny, marriage and religion and gendered expectations. I do wish this was a series because this was definitely a good starting point for this world and would leave room for further exploration and character development. The bones of this story was quality and I would definitely read more from this author based on the writing style alone. Giddings did have a lot to say in this one. I do wish this one was longer so it could have packed a bigger punch because it had great potential. I would recommend this one for the gorgeous writing. Thanks to @amistadbooks for the gifted copy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Biphobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
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