Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

330 reviews

bmpicc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

What an interesting and difficult read. I was thinking 3 stars, but then I realized it isn't fair to penalize the author for making me feel things... I added a star for the unique (and oddly realistic) dystopian premise. This made me uncomfortable the way 'The Measure' by Nikki Erlick made me uncomfortable. As a reader, that is a discomfort I appreciate. It will be a while before I finish digesting this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Abandonment

adrenabereading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

nessreadsalot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.0

Frida is a struggling mother who just had  a very bad day. Now the government has decided that she is not a fit parent and must be retrained. 

A dystopian novel that felt very much like an episode of black mirror. 

 

Frida and the other parents at the school must practice with robot dolls that look like their children to prove they are fit to have custody of them. 

I just felt really hopeless and uncomfortable throughout this book and desperately wanted Frida to have some redeeming factors. None of the characters were particularly likeable but I still felt devastated for them and their situation. 

This was a really interesting observation on the standards of perfection that mothers hold themselves to. While there were fathers there too they were outnumbered by the mothers 3:1. 

The fact that mothers were also only allowed talk about themselves in relation to their children really hit me! 

I went into this book blind and  would find it hard to say I enjoyed reading this book because of the content but it was well written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

xgeegx's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

gedlek's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

4.25

A very interesting read! I thoroughly enjoyed it although it was upsetting throughout. I may be pessimistic but I can see a lot of through lines from real life to what happens throughout the novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Abandonment

courtiny's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.0

Strange. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

jennylomax's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.0

Like a really dark episode of Black Mirror. Very bleak, I couldn’t read too many chapters in one sitting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, and Pregnancy

livpaige93's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

chelsobregon's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

2.5

I could have done without the weird sprinkled in sexual parts especially when they were talking about the dolls. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment

junglejelly's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.75

I couldn't put this book down at times. It's so immersive and gripping.

The characters aren't loveable but they're incredibly relatable. They're not prefect but make a great comparison to how high expectations are held for mothers in this world.

I found the plot gripping but predictable in the way that I wasn't surprised at what came next. I've read a few reviews saying the events are not believable but I found them to be a little too believable (e.g.

the constant contradictory behaviour of the instructors and expectations of the school and the lower expectations for the fathers

).

As someone who is not a parent, I still felt the devastation come from the characters. It was hard not to relate to them all (yes even Gus and Susanna) under such awful circumstances.

Overall a very good but sad book with contrasting features making it a compelling read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Minor: Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia