You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
alyssapusateri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Violence, Excrement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Abortion
Minor: Cursing, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting
i'm not really sure how to tag this considering there is such a mix of metaphors or what i thought were metaphors... i don't even knowbillcbentley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Body horror
ada_elisabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I do not know what to make of this book. It's surreal, it's confusing, yes. But it's also oddly enchanting? The writing was very good-- although some people have critiqued Claire Oshetsky's unique writing style in this novel, I loved it. However, that was pretty much the only thing that I loved. I read the first one hundred and forty pages ravenously, thinking that Chouette would be another easy five-star book. But by page one sixty, my excitement had worn off and I was beginning to dislike the story. Ten pages later, I was once again enthralled, but by page two hundred, I was back to loathing it. While there were a few high points between page two hundred and the end, I overall did not enjoy most of it, which is a shame because the rest of the book was fairly decent.
Basically, Tiny gives birth to an owl-baby having cheated on her husband with her owl-lover. (Not a spoiler, this is all established from the very beginning.) Tiny's husband thinks that the owl-baby, Chouette, can become more like a normal human with a series of therapies, surgeries, and treatments. Tiny wants to leave her owl-baby how it is. If interpreted literally, I would agree with Tiny's father. If there was an option to have my owl-child turned into a normal child, then of course I would take it. If I had chosen to interpret this book in a literal sense, I would have given it one star. However, if the owl-baby is seen as a metaphor for a child who is human, but different from other kids due to something like autism, the book becomes a whole lot better. I won't bore you with all of my thoughts, but I will say this: I think that a mix of what Tiny wants and what her husband wants is okay for Chouette, until she is old enough to express what she wants .
Other than that, this book was just decent. Not a single character was likable, I wanted them all to just shut up and go away. The writing was great, and it almost made up for everything else being mediocre. Also, I do really like the cover. The only other thing I could think of to say is that I didn't understand or enjoy the ending at all. I usually rate a book based on how good I thought the ending was, and this one was very vague, which wasn't my favorite. (view spoiler) I also suspect that Tiny might be gay? (view spoiler)
I would describe this book as surreal, haunting, and enchanting, but I doubt I would ever recommend it to someone. I'm not sure if I'll read Oshetsky's next novel, Poor Deer, but I will continue to follow their reviewer account on Goodreads. 4.25/5 stars, rounded down.
Update from, like, twenty minutes after I wrote this review: I do realize this book is about motherhood, and because I am not a mother, I can't really relate to it. It doesn't change how I feel about it, I just think that this book would definitely hit mothers a little harder than it hit me.
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
savvylit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Utilizing magical realism, Oshetsky leaves it up to the reader to decide whether or not baby Chouette is an actual owl. I personally am firmly in the camp of readers who believe that this whole tale is a metaphor for the challenges of raising a disabled child. The way that Tiny's in-laws call her "courageous" for raising Chouette, the way that her husband is obsessed with finding medical "fixes"... It's more than clear that Tiny's isolation throughout the novel is due to other people's heartlessness and lack of understanding. The people around Tiny refuse to acknowledge her mental illness before and after her pregnancy. And they refuse to engage with Chouette, choosing to be frightened by her differences.
All in all, Chouette is an emotionally devastating book written in an engaging, lyrical manner. I highly recommend reading this - as long as you are prepared to join Chouette & Tiny as they take on the world alone.
Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting
desireewoodwhite's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Maybe I spoiled the read for myself by constantly comparing this one with Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova, which I absolutely loved!
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Toxic relationship
freyagee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Car accident, Abortion, and Abandonment
Minor: Cursing
seawarrior's review against another edition
5.0
I gleefully suspended my disbelief while reading this story, relishing in Tiny's devotion to her daughter and Chouette's unembarrassed honesty and wanton destruction. Throughout the book, Chouette's father, who noticeably calls his daughter by the wrong name, refuses to interact with her unless he's found a new medical intervention. While some of these interventions are imagined, others that are briefly mentioned, such as forcing a child to ingest poisonous chemicals, are abuses that have been documented as supposed "cures" for autism: Parents are poisoning their children with bleach to 'cure' autism. These moms are trying to stop it (https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/moms-go-undercover-fight-fake-autism-cures-private-facebook-groups-n1007871). Alternately, Tiny learns what Chouette needs and frenziedly provides it for her, while warring against her private doubts that Chouette's aggressively determined father may be right that she must be profoundly altered in order to exist peacefully in the world. I was moved by the meaning of this story, and exhilarated by its unconventional approach and rich descriptions of the natural world. While this novel may not be understood, much less loved by some readers, I treasured Chouette and its strangeness.
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Blood, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Gore
hotdrinks's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Medical trauma, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Car accident, and Abortion
anitra2319's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Violence, and Blood
conspystery's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Ultimately, though, I think my favorite thing about Chouette is the versatility of its resonance-- something that is achieved, I think, by Oshetsky’s authenticity in this story. No matter how you interpret Chouette, no matter what allegorical or literal meaning you find in it, it has something important and personal to say about the measures society uses to evaluate, predict, and judge individuality-- and how we can and should transcend those measures which emphasize perceived acceptance over authentic personhood, no matter what society has ingrained in us to do instead. I adore Chouette. I can’t wait to read it again.
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail