Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

40 reviews

sadiaa's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The concept of the story intrigued me. I enjoyed the way the author wrote, accessible and emotive. Immediately the author made us feel for Frida and all the other mother's in their situation, I liked the way that she highlighted that some of the mother's were in the school for trivial things whilst others were there for more serious actions. I was hooked and couldn't stop reading, always wanting to know how else the instructors would torture Frida in the name of being a better mother. 
I think this is a story that would resonate with anyone, it's interesting how she included many different issues not only racism and sexism, but also the treatment of father's and how there is a double standard when it comes to parenting and the punishments they are given.
All in all I would recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Child abuse, Classism, Racism, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, and Hate crime

islabjb's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: War, Cursing, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Chronic illness, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Classism, Vomit, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Confinement, Cancer, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, and Infidelity

ynotlime's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Racial slurs, Infidelity, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Death, Confinement, Bullying, Body shaming, Stalking, Sexual content, Sexism, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Classism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Violence, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Misogyny

nonfictionfeminist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Emotional abuse, Racism, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Grief, Racial slurs, Misogyny, and Physical abuse

amandas_bookshelf's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Torture, Xenophobia, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Abandonment

krissysbooked's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I love myself some dystopian feminist fiction, so when this debut started popping up on my social feeds I just knew I had to read it. Low and behold the lovely peeps over at the Bit Crack Book Club decided to read it (I got sick so had to miss the buddy read!) and it came up on Netgalley so I was lucky enough to get to read it for free!

Let me set the scene. We are introduced to Frida: a recently separated single mother to a child who is under 2, trying to keep it all together. She is trying to work, trying to raise her child, contending with the emotional turmoil of being left for another woman (whilst postpartum!), and clearly fending off depression. Frida is isolated, her family live far away and she doesn’t really have a friends network. Then comes her bad day… she leaves her child alone after hours of screaming and she gets reported to the police.

In this not so distant future the issues can’t simply be rectified by time out, a break, cooperation between co-parents to work out a better system. No, Frida is monitored for months and then sent to a ‘school’ to relearn how to be a good mother by being taught by women who have never been mothers themselves.

Through the lessons and tests and relationships, this book really explored the pressures out on mothers todays to be perfect and the further pressure put on parents of different ethnicities, ages, and social classes. I think it also really highlighted the performative nature of parenting via social media today where perfect influencers make many feel ashamed and like they’re not good enough. In reality we know that almost no one really knows what they’re doing and everyone makes mistakes along the way. The biggest stand out for me was that those with lack of support and community are derided as bad parents whereas those with all the resources are hailed as the best when really they’re parenting for a place of extreme privilege. 

Overall I found the story quite slowly paced, and although interesting I didn’t feel there was anything driving me to get to the end. I also felt that there were a lot of unexplored avenues for the story including perspective switching that could of improved the pace and the feeling of jeopardy.

That being said it’s a really good debut, and a concept I could imagine being adapted as a series or movie. I’m looking forward to seeing the development of Chan’s storytelling in the future.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Confinement, Child abuse, Abandonment, Misogyny, Bullying, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content

Moderate: Classism, Drug use, Outing, Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping

emilycecilia's review against another edition

challenging 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Classism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

alisonvh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

This book is rough, but so well written, and it does a great job of discussing the impossible expectations our society has of mothers. Can’t wait to discuss it with my book club.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Ableism, Blood, Eating disorder, Suicide, Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Self harm

Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, Chronic illness, Rape, and Vomit

laynemandros's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Ableism, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Pregnancy

literarylion's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.5

I really liked this.

Pros:

• amazing speculation and world-building around a possible not-too-distant future; Frida's situation felt scary in a very real way
• incredible emotion and character establishment; I was invested from beginning to end
• strong examination of important social issues without feeling didactic or hitting the reader over the head with it
• Great tension-building pacing

Cons:

• I found the romance between Frida and Tucker a bit unnecessary to the story

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Alcohol and Blood