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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
sageysage'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Self harm, Rape, Police brutality, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Torture, Violence, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Vomit, Suicide, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Mental illness, Racism, and Miscarriage
savvylit'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? Yes
4.5
If the above summary of this work doesn't already suggest it, this is a very dark novel. Jessamine Chan crafts an all-too-believable police state that dictates "proper" motherhood. And, as in real life, mothers of color are treated much more harshly by the system. Though I am not a mother myself, it's not hard to see that the extremes of this novel are an extension of the very real pressures that our society imposes upon mothers.
Overall, The School for Good Mothers was an incredibly captivating novel that made me think a lot about motherhood, societal norms, and judgement (both legal and cultural). At first, I thought that the School portions of this story dragged. Upon reflection, though, I think that may have been the point - readers start to yearn for graduation day right alongside Frida. (When will she finally be deemed good?) Additionally, I also initially thought that this book was too rooted in the gender binary; there is not a single mention of non-cis motherhood. However, I think that rooting this story in the male/female, mother/father gender binary is part of what made this book even more terrifying. All of the State's rules for motherhood were extremely patriarchal. Obsessing over puritanical ideas of femininity and motherhood is just one more way that the State controls and oppresses its parents.
Graphic: Confinement, Xenophobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Violence, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Child abuse, and Suicide
ginnypie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was one of the most brutal, devastating, and bleak books i’ve ever reas. This is a dystopian novel about a CPS- funded boot camp/reeducation for parents who’ve been found to be negligent or abusive. The wardens of this school remind me of some of the more insane mommy bloggers that i’ve come across, with lots of obvious misinformation. The writing style is very matter or fact and i believe it was done intentionally to emphasize how hopeless Fridas situation is.
There’s also a camp for fathers and that camp is a lot more lenient than the mothers camp, which i believe directly reflects standards for motherhood v fatherhood and it just pissed me off.
Graphic: Confinement, Racism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Suicide, Misogyny, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, and Child abuse
sarwils's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Self harm, Pregnancy, Child death, Death, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Sexual content, Antisemitism, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, and Police brutality
faduma's review
- 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
Graphic: Classism, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Police brutality, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Confinement, and Forced institutionalization
itsbumley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Child death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Grief, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual assault, Abortion, Addiction, Blood, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pedophilia
laurenren'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
Graphic: Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Mental illness, and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Cursing, Racial slurs, Police brutality, and Kidnapping