Reviews

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

paigestilwill's review

dark emotional tense slow-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

5.0

The best book I’ve read this year. The sci-fi element was really well done and understated. The author beautifully depicts the current CPS system, from being more lenient with fathers, to overworked social workers, etc. the ending was emotional and poignant. I’ll remember it for years.

mtro's review

dark emotional 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

4.5

nikkifortenberry's review

2.0

The author brings the characters to life well and make you feel for them and makes you enraged by their situation. However it kinda just drags on. You are waiting for something to happen, but chapter after chapter it’s just more of the same.
Also the idea is just a little too far fetched for me.

alexhad's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

meganmikaelian's review

reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

This book was infuriating and captivating and I couldn’t put it down even if I wanted to. Jessamine Chan described Frida’s every thought and feeling with such remarkable clarity. Everything she felt, I felt along with her thanks to the author’s incredible storytelling. 

Frieda’s experiences as a woman and a mother were both unique and universal. Almost every character outside of the mothers spent the entire book gaslighting Frieda into believing she was wrong or bad or too much or too little. The frustration was palpable and the villains and flaws in the system were so accurately portrayed that it was scary. 

The author never condones Frieda’s actions or tries to paint her “crime” as insignificant, but she does offer a broader perspective for the reader to take into consideration. The book touches on themes of racism, misogyny, big government and dystopian politics in a not-so-distant future among others and handles each one with grace and thoughtfulness. 

katielouwhoreads's review

4.0

Hated and loved this book!

dinasamimi's review against another edition

3.0

This book was start and stop for me. I had to restart it a few times and just had to power through. It is incredibly triggering and tough to get through. Definitely worth the discussion even if the storytelling is not stellar.

aljy's review

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

fantasynovel's review

5.0

I feel like I should have really not liked this book Bc the premise is a little surreal but god I loved it. I felt the emotions so strongly and I feel like the premise was masterfully executed. I do agree with my mom that it felt like there were multiple endings, but it didn’t bother me that much.

fevvers's review

emotional reflective 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

4.25