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vagrantheather's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Cancer, and Grief
Minor: Death and Lesbophobia
eliya's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I wanted to DNF a few times, listened to it on 2.0x just to get through lol.
One thing that really threw me off, and this might be a little mean, was the voice actor. She read with a sorrowful whine that made me angry to listen to the whole time and was quite unpleasant. TBH that was also the way it was written, the main character’s POV was dull and repetitive. Alex’s attitude the whole times was “hear all these terrible things that have happened to me? :( feel so bad for me :(“ and “gotta remember this lie! do you remember it, audience?” and it make a caricature of women and girls who through this period went through similar stuff or worse.
i believe this book would have been much more impactful if it had
-been written from a POV of one of the women who had dragonned,
-included more intersectionality instead of the brief like “people of color exist too! trans people AND black people dragoned” one offs here and there
-wrapped up to more modern take on how this history of misogyny has effected us today. the conclusion winds up being “we did it!! boy we suffered but now we don’t have to suffer anymore” when - um no - the work is not done people are still suffering in the same and different ways than in the 1950s.
Its approach is very like “women sure did suffer in the 1950s” when it wasn’t just middle class housewives and their children who suffered, there were so many other people and cultures who sufferered more?? and the suffering is still happening??
Graphic: Misogyny, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Biphobia
savshanae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The writing was emotional and painted vivid pictures (it was also wordy). Sometimes repetitive, but I think it adds to the story by the end.
The self-expression and ideas that it inspired are challenging and thought provoking, and I really enjoyed that it is written to feel like you are being TOLD a story, someone’s thoughts and life experiences.
This book made me very angry, made me cry (lots), made me want to stop reading it. But it’s definitely worth the read and the rage.
Graphic: Body shaming, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Chronic illness, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Bullying, Sexism, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Blood, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
Minor: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Animal death, and Domestic abuse
vatakarnic33's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gaslighting, Abandonment, Child abuse, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Bullying and Cancer
Minor: Death of parent and Alcoholism
imskylow's review against another edition
Graphic: Child abuse, Bullying, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent and Homophobia
joayenne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
hannahpings's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Terminal illness, Misogyny, Cancer, Grief, Abandonment, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Sexism
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: War and Violence
jomerl's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
However, I had a hard time with the lack of racial diversity or even acknowledgement in the book. It touches on the LGBTQIA+ community beautifully, but there is no mention of any other intersectionality. I believe it would be even more special by representing more women - understanding it is set in the 1950s-1960s in Wisconsin.
Some of the parts dragged on for some time, while other important pieces were skimmed over, but this is truly a magical book. I’ve never cried over a dragon before.
Minor: Death of parent, Child abuse, and Sexism
romy91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
*minor spoiler*
Particularly enjoyed the moment when the dragon woman commented that the only reason she didn’t eat her abusive husband was because she wanted to save herself the indigestion!
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Cancer, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Death of parent
mamaewalk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Moderate: Gaslighting, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Misogyny
Minor: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, Fire/Fire injury, and Panic attacks/disorders