Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

26 reviews

melishahigdon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

This book was enlightening. I have never thought so much about how unfair part of the system actually is in the US. I was floored by how learning a lesson was not good enough for the system and administration, how doing a good thing was always overlooked because something Frida did was always wrong and that she “was a bad mother.”

This also showed me how unfair things could and probably are for those who aren’t white mothers in the United States, how the inherent, systemic racism affects American mothers who aren’t white.

There was a little discussion about the treatment of problematic fathers versus mothers: the fathers weren’t treated as poorly as the mothers in the school, which ostracized the mothers from humaneness like the fathers were shown.

I have a lot to say about this book, so if anyone wants to discuss it with me, please PM me. I am completely floored by this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexual content

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Racism, Vomit, Suicide, Death, Infidelity, Sexism, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

itsbumley's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Child death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Grief, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, and Misogyny

Minor: Sexual assault, Abortion, Addiction, Blood, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pedophilia

kelseyr713's review

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“A mother is a shark,” Ms. Russo says. “You’re always moving. Always learning. Always trying to better yourself.”

Absolutely relentless in examining the violence of the state against women, particularly women of color and those from immigrant families. I would not classify this as dystopian or sci-fi; probably speculative fiction. As angry and sad as this made me, it would only be worse for a parent/soon-to-be parent.

The New Yorker article “Where Is Your Mother?” by Rachel Aviv is among the cited works in the acknowledgments, and I was horrified to see how many of the small details were taken from real life incidents. Worth a read: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/02/where-is-your-mother

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, and Sexism

Moderate: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, and Confinement

aguattery's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

The first quarter was tough to get through. It took me a while to adjust to the present tense writing style. There was good representation but it did feel a little over the top at times throughout the book, not adding anything to the story.  

After the first quarter I really enjoyed it and there were a few moments that actually made me emotional. Overall I think it's a well done dystopian novel that made me feel angry and frustrated in a good way. I think the ending was actually a little clever - providing closure but not in the way you would expect. I like that it wasn't about a fight against the system but rather a look at how people who are part of a system often can't escape it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Kidnapping, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Body shaming, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Addiction, Blood, Cursing, Car accident, Confinement, and Miscarriage

mondovertigo's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racism, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Mental illness

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Classism, Kidnapping, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Self harm, Xenophobia, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Alcohol

abi0188's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

4.5

Truly horrifying read but in a great dystopian way. I had so many gut reactions of being horrified what was going on and hope this scenario ever comes to light. The very end was the only thing that held me back from giving this 5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide