Reviews

This book stands out as a unique 'slice-of-life dystopian novel '. Unlike typical dystopian narratives where characters overthrow oppressive regimes, our protagonist, Jo, navigates life under such a regime, making for a compelling read.

I really appreciated that the author forces us as readers to really consider who will be the most impacted under oppressive regimes, unlike a lot of books in this genre that make white women the most oppressed and do not consider race or sexuality in their dystopian.

While there is an adventure plot and Jo is directly experiencing the oppression of being accused of witchcraft, unlike the last seven chapters, the plot is more about her everyday experiences, which I thought was fantastic.

The writing here was so gorgeous. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an amazing job. I liked the more ambiguous ending and how it felt like this was actually only the beginning of Jo's story.

stellahadz's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

I liked the premise of the story and the author's writing style, but some of the worldbuilding felt a bit clumsy and left me with a lot of questions. There was also a shift in the book's tone partway through, and everything from there on out felt a bit rushed. The Women Could Fly has a lot of potential, but a lot of it fell somewhat flat for me. I can see why people enjoyed it, I think certain aspects just weren't for me. I've heard good things about the author's other book, so I do want to read that one.

Content Warnings

toni2712's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

jenhurst's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I really liked this. It’s a quiet dystopian that’s very grounded in reality. The torture and belief that every man with a woman who’s accused of being a witch is enchanted. They also push every woman into being with a man and they can’t be unsupervised with another women due to them being able to do magic. If two men are together it’s due to being witchy.
I liked the topics covered. The witches and dystopian elements weren’t the focus though. It was mainly about women’s place in society (particularly black women) and the complicated nature with the protagonists mother.

yvoba's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging inspiring mysterious fast-paced

4.0

More...