Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

164 reviews

percys_panda_pillow_pet's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This book gave me trauma, and I'm only half-joking. Okay, for real though, When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill cracked open a lot of feelings and thoughts I've had all my life and especially now as an adult as I try to explore exactly who I am in this world. This book is about identity, it is about trauma, it is about rage, it is about so much more than you can put into words. 

When Kelly Barnhill wants you to believe in something, she puts her whole soul into it. By the end of this book, I was convinced that dragoning was real, and wondering why I couldn't dragon myself away, or even if I could. I know at times her metaphor can fall apart at the seams, but that's honestly what helped ground it for me. These are dragons, these are women. Dragoning can mean everything and it can mean nothing, though the latter would be unusual. Pretty much every time, that meaning made me want to cry. Often, I did cry while reading this book. And after finishing it too. It struck a chord in me so forcefully: the depiction of female generational trauma and the mixing of rage and sadness and hurt and unfairness and love one can have for their mother. 

At times, I was a bit frustrated with Barnhill's decisions throughout the book. I needed a bit more about trans people and what dragoning meant for them, and I know I am not alone in feeling like the intersectional aspects of feminism were a bit lacking, though in some ways that seems par for the course of the 50s and 60s.  This book filled me with emptiness at the lack of catharsis in some areas. There was a lot of build up and not enough resolution for me at times. Which, in some ways, feels perfect for the messiness of life, that truthfully we don't often get the catharsis we need. But I disliked the hollowness and in the end, I felt dissatisfied and want to scream, "Why?" and "It isn't fair!"

Do not look to this book to heal you, it will wring you dry. I can't wait for the day I will reread this, and pick things apart more. And maybe by then I'll have actually settled on a star rating for this book. For now, I leave that empty. This book is too much for me now. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Outing, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Murder, Alcohol, and War

fairytalefootnotes's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Infidelity

dealingwithdragons's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-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

I loved this book. I especially appreciated that the moment I wondered "where are the trans dragons" was the moment the trans dragons showed up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Moderate: Body horror

Minor: Gun violence

The mentions of guns are mainly in the context of "dragons are bulletproof". Body horror is entirely women turning into dragons.

kaiyakaiyo's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Exquisite. Exquisite! I can write paragraphs of nitpicky thoughts about books I like but books I love often turn my brain to mush. This is one of those books I think

This book is full of love, rage, vindication, revenge, grief,… do yourself a favor & just read it! 

A quick but lasting read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Transphobia, and Abandonment

Minor: Racism and War

eegekay's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

thereadinghammock's review against another edition

Not only is the misogyny of the 1950s/1960s a major contextual element, but the way the story is being told just isn't jiving with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Gaslighting

Moderate: Cancer, Sexism, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

tinytrashqueen's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Cancer

aurie1000's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer

Moderate: Death of parent

bbbarttt's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Abandonment

Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Alcoholism

bubblegirl858's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

For my 2023 book rating system I gave this book 5 stars. This was our January Book Club read and I really enjoyed this book, even though it also frustrated me. It was a highly feminist novel told from a point of view that is not often seen, a child who is being forced to grow up too quickly in a world that doesn't explain how anything works and actively tries to suppress information. I really enjoyed the whole plot of women turning into dragons. It is a fantastic idea. Setting it in the 50's was also such an amazing way to show how men, the government, the public in general, and women who have internalized misogyny treat other women. The suppression of women's issues as being "sensitive" or "vulgar" is insane to most modern women, but it is how the world has always been and continues to be in some places, even if the normalization of speaking about women's issues and rights grows. This novel perfectly illustrated how children are taught to hate and be bigoted, how women are taught to shrink themselves and make themselves more palatable, and how love is love. It is not a choice to be gay or straight, it is not taught, it is just how it is. The only downsides/detractions that I had about this book was that it spent the majority of the time in her childhood, and then when it skipped to her teenage/young adult life the plot moved blindingly fast and we didn't get nearly enough time to understand the woman who she became. I would have liked to have explored a bit more of her adult life. The characters in this book were equally loveable and hateable. An equal balance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Physical abuse, Blood, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail