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Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy
Graphic: Sexism, Pregnancy
Moderate: Child abuse
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Graphic: Child abuse, Pregnancy
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual assault
Something about reading from a page provides distance from the subject. But listening to actors give voice to Fern and Holly and Zinnia and Rose's rage and anguish was heartbreaking and cringe-inducing and enraging. No distance could be maintained between myself and the injustice that happened to thousands of women in the USA, and in Canada, Ireland, and my native UK. So while it was a difficult read, it was an important one for me to complete. And I came close to putting it down several times! I finished it two months after my book club sat down to read it, but I knew I had to finish no matter how long it took.
It isn't a perfect book, however. I felt like the witchcraft element was incomplete, almost half-baked. I read that witchcraft was not present in the novel until the 3rd draft, and I think you can tell. The fantasy lover in me felt it was baffling that these girls didn't want to become witches and strike down the patriarchy with their awesome magic. I do recognise however, that it is a lot easier to want something problematic in fantasy (in the literal dreaming-of-something sense) than in real life, and Grady Hendrix is correct in showing the horror of Mrs Parceau's coven. But a little part of me will always wish that this book leant in hard into the magic!
Graphic: Violence, Pregnancy
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual violence
Minor: Racism
Graphic: Body horror, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy
Graphic: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy
Moderate: Child abuse, Racism, Rape
Graphic: Misogyny, Pregnancy
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Racism