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cheskams's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
4.75
A bit of a difficult read, filled with raw emotion. The world is very cleverly and well built. The language is creative and poignant. I was uncomfortable for much of my time reading, but in the way that I was so deeply immersed in Frida's story and the school. Truly brilliant.
My only criticism is how slow the beginning of the story is. I felt it took up too large of a chunk of the entire story.
My only criticism is how slow the beginning of the story is. I felt it took up too large of a chunk of the entire story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Misogyny
Moderate: Suicide and Child death
abbie_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.25
I was having a browse through some reviews of this one when I finished it and saw somebody comment that it would make a great limited TV series, and that immediately made me realise why it didn’t resonate with me as much as I thought it would. It has that almost-cinematic feel, where it sometimes seems like the author is writing specifically to see a scene played out on TV. The random forbidden romance thrown in, the draggy middle section, the coolly evil instructors, a lot of it feels written with a TV show in mind. And don’t get me wrong, it’d be a bloody compelling TV show!
Frida makes a huge mistake while looking after her daughter one day, but instead of a slap on the wrist, the state makes her participate in a newly rolled out programme to rehabilitate bad mothers. Separated from their children for a year, the mothers are sent to a defunct university campus to undergo 12 months’ of brutal training to become the best mothers they can be.
I enjoyed the commentary around issues like racism and misogyny, and obviously the sheer volume of responsibilities heaped on a mother’s shoulders (dads get more lenient punishments). But the middle of this book dragged so much. Chan obviously had a very clear idea of the school’s syllabus, but honestly I feel like the amount of description lessened the impact.
Frustrating and eerie, but not as powerful as I anticipated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Suicide, and Confinement
emmmillly's review
challenging
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
amanda_reads13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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? Yes
3.0
Frida's one very bad day results in her being sent to a one-year program to become a "better mother".
The premise is a commentary on the very real control our patriarchal government has over our lives. The book was incredibly disturbing; I felt very uncomfortable and angry throughout the story. I had to take many breaks while listening. The author successfully illustrates the pressures put on mothers to be perfect and the unrealistic expectations society expects them to meet. It also sheds light on the racial prejudices towards mothers of colour as they endure even harsher punishments.
Frida is a single mom struggling to find balance. She is overworked, stressed, and probably dealing with post-partum depression. On her worst day she makes the choice to leave her daughter home alone for two hours, which is reported by the neighbours. That day her daughter is taken from her and Frida ends up being sent to a Big Brother type institution. Here, the mothers endure harsh and strict rules and while being pushed to achieve unrealisticly high standards of perfection.
My main issue with the book is our main character. She is not a sympathetic or likable character. She made a terrible choice that put her daughter in danger. If we really look at her, her concern is not for her child's welfare, it's for her own and her "need" to be with her baby. I was really waiting for that "ah-ha" moment when she realizes that her behaviour truly put her daughter at risk, but there wasn't. There was so much focus on her whining and lamenting her situation, which I get. Her daughter was taken from her, her husband left her for another woman, and the school is awful, BUT there is little to no growth in her character. Her pride stands in her way at every step.
Also, the plot is very, very slow. Since this was a dystop an society, I wanted more world building. Does society truly not know about these schools? How is this abuse allowed to occur?
The premise is a commentary on the very real control our patriarchal government has over our lives. The book was incredibly disturbing; I felt very uncomfortable and angry throughout the story. I had to take many breaks while listening. The author successfully illustrates the pressures put on mothers to be perfect and the unrealistic expectations society expects them to meet. It also sheds light on the racial prejudices towards mothers of colour as they endure even harsher punishments.
Frida is a single mom struggling to find balance. She is overworked, stressed, and probably dealing with post-partum depression. On her worst day she makes the choice to leave her daughter home alone for two hours, which is reported by the neighbours. That day her daughter is taken from her and Frida ends up being sent to a Big Brother type institution. Here, the mothers endure harsh and strict rules and while being pushed to achieve unrealisticly high standards of perfection.
My main issue with the book is our main character. She is not a sympathetic or likable character. She made a terrible choice that put her daughter in danger. If we really look at her, her concern is not for her child's welfare, it's for her own and her "need" to be with her baby. I was really waiting for that "ah-ha" moment when she realizes that her behaviour truly put her daughter at risk, but there wasn't. There was so much focus on her whining and lamenting her situation, which I get. Her daughter was taken from her, her husband left her for another woman, and the school is awful, BUT there is little to no growth in her character. Her pride stands in her way at every step.
Also, the plot is very, very slow. Since this was a dystop an society, I wanted more world building. Does society truly not know about these schools? How is this abuse allowed to occur?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Abandonment, Grief, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Suicide, and Confinement
jordan21's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The dystopian world that the author gradually creates is both stunning and disturbing, combining realistic details and circumstances with bizarre twists. The novel beautifully illustrates the perfectionist pressures placed on women and racist prejudices towards mothers of color. I wish I could read this again for the first time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Child abuse and Suicide
Minor: Sexism
mushmush's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Suicide
lordmomo17's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, and Forced institutionalization
katiearcher's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Frida Liu is a bad mother learning to be good.
In this dystopian story, Frida has a bad day and loses custody of her 18month old daughter. In hopes of earning back her custody she is sentenced to one year in the school for good mothers. What’s scary about this book is that if our government could get away with this, I believe they would. While some might believe Frida’s time at the school is too exaggerated or unrealistic, I think it perfectly depicts the unrealistic expectations placed on mothers. It’s a system designed for failure, because no one can ever be a “perfect” mother.
I think the author does a wonderful job entrenching us in Frida’s pov, her anxiety, helplessness, and agonizing hope. I took some points off for the ending and some (imo) gratuitous sexual portions.
In this dystopian story, Frida has a bad day and loses custody of her 18month old daughter. In hopes of earning back her custody she is sentenced to one year in the school for good mothers. What’s scary about this book is that if our government could get away with this, I believe they would. While some might believe Frida’s time at the school is too exaggerated or unrealistic, I think it perfectly depicts the unrealistic expectations placed on mothers. It’s a system designed for failure, because no one can ever be a “perfect” mother.
I think the author does a wonderful job entrenching us in Frida’s pov, her anxiety, helplessness, and agonizing hope. I took some points off for the ending and some (imo) gratuitous sexual portions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Child abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Child death, and Suicide
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, and Chronic illness
mochiwaffles's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
jess_eliza's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Abandonment, Suicide, Cursing, Child abuse, Death, Child death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Racism, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Alcohol and Lesbophobia