Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

89 reviews

friendofdorothea's review

hopeful 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

2.5

I think the premise was a lot better than the execution. The book could have been a lot shorter and many parts dragged on. Also since the mothers in the book did do some pretty bad stuff that kind of went against the point that mothers are overly punished for how they parent. Of course it was to the extreme but I think the point of the book could have been stronger if the main character didn’t really do anything and was punished for it. I do think the book made its point but I would recommend the handmaids tale before this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Child abuse, Sexism, Racism, Misogyny, Mental illness, Gun violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

easta98's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Self harm, and Suicide

Minor: Rape, Alcohol, Drug use, Blood, Addiction, Car accident, Death, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

kathleenivy'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, and Sexism

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Torture, Abandonment, Self harm, Classism, Kidnapping, Colonisation, and Medical content

Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, and Miscarriage

mayavd's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Suicide, and Sexism

brdietz08's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Mental illness, and Kidnapping

haleybre's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Self harm, Child death, and Violence

lesbianlis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

While I think this is a really good book there are some changes that I think could’ve made it a wee bit more compelling. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

kiwichill's review

challenging dark emotional 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

3.5

Sad story, it was a struggle to read.  It's confronting and gloomy storyline was hard to finish.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Confinement, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Grief, Sexism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Bullying

kelisabeth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Homophobia, Infertility, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Biphobia, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

ginnypie's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

This was one of the most brutal, devastating, and bleak books i’ve ever reas. This is a dystopian novel  about a CPS- funded boot camp/reeducation for parents who’ve been found to be negligent or abusive. The wardens of this school remind me of some of the more insane  mommy bloggers  that i’ve come across, with lots of obvious misinformation. The writing style is very matter or fact and i believe it was done intentionally to emphasize how hopeless Fridas situation is. 

There’s also a camp for fathers and that camp is a lot more lenient than the mothers camp, which i believe directly reflects standards for motherhood v fatherhood and it just pissed me off. 

The way they abused these women and the dolls is a little too real to how mothers are treated in our general society. This book broke my heart every chapter and i am hopeful that this will give me a lot more patience and understanding when it comes to interacting or dealing with mothers. I don’t know if i can recommend anyone with kids read it because it’s genuinely so hard to read and Bleak but if you have the stomach for just pain please read it 

It briefly touches on how CPS treats black and brown mothers differently than white mothers and i wish it went deeper into it. 

I am just sad now. 

I think it was well written and the pacing was okay and if you want to feel bad read it but i need hope im my books and everything was just bleak 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Racism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Suicide, Misogyny, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, and Child abuse