Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

76 reviews

laurenlee2158's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Racism, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

ehmannky's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

An intense dystopian view of modern motherhood, complete with the social expectations to be perfect, to never accidentally or purposefully harm a child, racist expectations, strangers thinking they know best, and the fear of losing your child for "abusive behavior." After Frida leaves her toddler alone for 2 hours, she loses custody and is forced to go to the School for Good Mothers to regain a chance to even have visiting rights again. But the school itself, an intensification of motherhood with Silicon Valley horror with every interaction quantified and measured, is set up for people to fail. It's a heartbreaking look at motherhood, with what happens when social nets fall through and when mothers are expected to be perfect, no exceptions. I really liked that all the "Bad Mothers" were lumped together--Frida and other mothers who "abandoned" their children (some just having abandoned them to walk a few blocks by themselves, left them with a 12-year-old niece to babysit, etc.) with those who have done more serious things like hitting and leaving children in a hole. The book asks us to think if any of these women (and their children) really deserve to be subject to the terror and trauma of separation and that there has to be a better way to ensure safety for children without tearing them from their parents. 

I think that while the middle school sections were a bit too long (I think this book could easily be 50 or so pages shorter), this is still a fabulous book.

I was *sobbing* at the end when you learn that Frida and her parents don't regain any kind of custody and are just expected to be fine not seeing Harriet until she's 18

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Death, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Forced institutionalization, and Kidnapping

Minor: Child abuse

shellbell_04's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Child abuse

Minor: Kidnapping and Sexism

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

lovelydeadgirl's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Sexual content, and Suicide

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

katiej's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

I felt all the emotions reading this one but mainly anger and sadness. The way the mothers are treated is disgusting especially when we start to learn how the fathers are treated. Although this has been described as dystopian I would say it’s a light dystopian so don’t let that put you off. There are clear undertones of The Handmaids Tale throughout that suggest Atwood was a big inspiration on Chan. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Pregnancy

Minor: Racism, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism

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

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I stumbled across this book at Barnes & Noble, and the summary on the back really drew me in.
"The School for Good Mothers" is an exploration of motherhood through a near-futuristic, dystopian lens. Frida Liu is deeply struggling with her life. Being the daughter of Chinese immigrants has caused her to constantly feel like she is living in a shadow in which she is never good enough. After a particularly bad day, Frida leaves her toddler daughter alone at home while she runs to the office. But her quick errand turns into hours away, and when she returns home, she is met by police who are taking her daughter away from her. After a difficult trial, Frida decides to take a deal to attend a school for good mothers for one year, so she can learn how to be better and prove she will never leave her daughter again.
This book made me angry in all of the right ways. Motherhood is no easy task, and it seems like no matter what choice a mother makes, she receives endless criticism and feedback about how she can do better. Even the mothers who "do it all" are imperfect and need to do more. Frida obviously makes an unmistakably poor choice by leaving her toddler daughter alone, but what drove her to that point was equally infuriating. Frida does not have any support in her life, and she is tired, overworked, and desperately needs help. It is undeniable she should not have left her daughter alone, but I think it is equally important to see how much Frida immediately regretted it and did EVERYTHING within her power to make the situation right. Should one mistake forever mark Frida as a bad mother?
The inherit sexism that surrounds parenthood is explored exceptionally well in this book. Mothers are forever held to unattainable standards, but fathers are forever applauded for doing the bare minimum. The school for good mothers has a counterpart, a school for good fathers, and the reader learns that these schools are not created equally. The fathers have a much easier time with the curriculum and their crimes against their children are treated completely differently. Fathers are pretty much always encouraged to go back into their children's lives following graduation from the program, however the mothers seem to be set up to fail and lose their children forever.
I LOVED this book, and I look forward to reading more from Jessamine Chan in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Child death, Racism, and Child abuse

Minor: Sexual content

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