Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

73 reviews

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs

Moderate: Child abuse and Suicide

Minor: Sexism

gab_l23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Sexism, Suicide, Racism, and Homophobia

rei_reads's review

challenging dark emotional sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Confinement, Sexism, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content

Moderate: Self harm, Abandonment, Racism, Medical content, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault and Pregnancy

gedlek's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

A very interesting read! I thoroughly enjoyed it although it was upsetting throughout. I may be pessimistic but I can see a lot of through lines from real life to what happens throughout the novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexism, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse

Moderate: Abandonment

therecoveringbookworm's review

dark medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism

Moderate: Suicide, Child abuse, and Racism

Minor: Abandonment, Rape, and Pedophilia

junglejelly's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• 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

4.75

I couldn't put this book down at times. It's so immersive and gripping.

The characters aren't loveable but they're incredibly relatable. They're not prefect but make a great comparison to how high expectations are held for mothers in this world.

I found the plot gripping but predictable in the way that I wasn't surprised at what came next. I've read a few reviews saying the events are not believable but I found them to be a little too believable (e.g.

the constant contradictory behaviour of the instructors and expectations of the school and the lower expectations for the fathers

).

As someone who is not a parent, I still felt the devastation come from the characters. It was hard not to relate to them all (yes even Gus and Susanna) under such awful circumstances.

Overall a very good but sad book with contrasting features making it a compelling read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

Moderate: Kidnapping, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Grief, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Eating disorder, Sexism, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, Racism, and Self harm

jessos1497's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Abandonment, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Emotional abuse

laurenlee2158's review

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Racism, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

ehmannky's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

4.5

An intense dystopian view of modern motherhood, complete with the social expectations to be perfect, to never accidentally or purposefully harm a child, racist expectations, strangers thinking they know best, and the fear of losing your child for "abusive behavior." After Frida leaves her toddler alone for 2 hours, she loses custody and is forced to go to the School for Good Mothers to regain a chance to even have visiting rights again. But the school itself, an intensification of motherhood with Silicon Valley horror with every interaction quantified and measured, is set up for people to fail. It's a heartbreaking look at motherhood, with what happens when social nets fall through and when mothers are expected to be perfect, no exceptions. I really liked that all the "Bad Mothers" were lumped together--Frida and other mothers who "abandoned" their children (some just having abandoned them to walk a few blocks by themselves, left them with a 12-year-old niece to babysit, etc.) with those who have done more serious things like hitting and leaving children in a hole. The book asks us to think if any of these women (and their children) really deserve to be subject to the terror and trauma of separation and that there has to be a better way to ensure safety for children without tearing them from their parents. 

I think that while the middle school sections were a bit too long (I think this book could easily be 50 or so pages shorter), this is still a fabulous book.

I was *sobbing* at the end when you learn that Frida and her parents don't regain any kind of custody and are just expected to be fine not seeing Harriet until she's 18

.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Death, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Forced institutionalization, and Kidnapping

Minor: Child abuse

shellbell_04's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Child abuse

Minor: Kidnapping and Sexism