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crystalsparkles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Self harm, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Racism, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Classism, Alcoholism, Violence, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Police brutality, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Alcohol, Car accident, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, and Blood
Minor: Pedophilia, Kidnapping, and Cancer
therecoveringbookworm's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Suicide, Child abuse, and Racism
Minor: Abandonment, Rape, and Pedophilia
chelsobregon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Suicide, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
betsygrace's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Suicide, Addiction, Stalking, Abandonment, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Racial slurs, Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Sexual content, and Child death
clovetra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fully i was reading this getting ready to give this 3 stars. literally the last chapter alone made this 4 stars.
im rarely a book crier but GOD the ending got me
this was so sad and for what
ngl i kind of didn't like frida? idk if i was supposed to like her or not. but by the end i defo was more. neutral. like she kind of was girlbossing too hard for me to hate her ngl
i'll be honest, it took a bit too long to get to the school part of this story. like we all know going into this book that she's going to the school. i get that it was necessary, but maybe pacing it with flashbacks would've been better? i don't know. it felt like a bit of a slog because i knew all efforts were in vain
also frida is so dumb my god. girlie really was trying to not get harriet back in that god damn school
i really enjoyed the commentary of expectations of motherhood vs fatherhood. it felt very relevant and was handled nicely.
all the characters were a bit insufferable, but i will say i did become interested in them. meryl had me in a chokehold by the end.
this book was quite depressing, don't read this if you're a mother my god. if i had a kid and read this i would actually want to be like margaret.
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Self harm, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Racism, Pedophilia, Child death, and Misogyny
Minor: Vomit
lauramur's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Self harm, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Suicide
clo_l's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Mental illness and Abandonment
Minor: Self harm, Rape, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Cancer, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Grief, Bullying, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Infertility, Cursing, Child abuse, Car accident, and Blood
kelisabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Homophobia, Infertility, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Biphobia, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
ottercorg's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I appreciated Chan's writing style and characters, and for once also appreciated the open ending.
Moderate: Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Suicide
danaslitlist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The School for Good Mothers is a book with a much deeper meaning and set of themes than it presents itself as. Like I said above it focuses on intersectional feminism and race; how mothers of color are specifically put at a disadvantage within any system we place them. They will always be help to a higher standard and even upon beating that standard it isn't enough. Meanwhile white women will always be the exception to the rule, especially if they have a money or connections. The hierarchy of womanhood will always value white, wealthy women over women of color and poor women (and God forbid you happen to be both).
This is also a book that has a direct commentary on how Western conservative values have embedded themselves into every aspect of our society. The dog whistles and blatant rejection of any ideals that do not align with what is considered a typical conservative Christian ideal is rejected and punished. And I think the book demonstrates that beautifully within in the text and plot.
The look into the consequences Frida's moment of desperation and exhaustion that haunt her long after the incident had my heart aching for her as well as wanting to shake her. She is a perfectly flawed character and even in her moments of unlikability you feel sympathetic to her.
Graphic: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Racism, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Self harm, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Gore