Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

142 reviews

scrubsandbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A novel about feminine rage featuring queer characters and dragons, AND sisters, a topic that is particularly close to my heart. Honest, emotional, heart-warming. The plot itself moved really slow but this is mainly focused on the characters, anyway.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

mj_86's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective 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? No

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

atricapillus's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

sundayfever's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.0

I wanted to love this, but it was just hard for me to get into. Maybe it was the writing style and the academic tone of it. The ending and sudden integration of all characters into society felt unrealistic. Misogyny persists stronger than that.  Also white feminism vibes. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

racheldonna14's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

5.0

It felt like this book was written for me. Each line felt purposeful and intentional and I want to remember each and every detail for the rest of my life. Alex's range of emotions leap off the page and are deeply relatable to any person raised as a girl in Catholic School. The expectation of silence, not questioning authority, and maintaining appearances was so relatable and rage inducing. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

bean_7088's review

Go to review page

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad slow-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

4.75

Oh wow did I love this one.
!some spoilers ahead!

Everything felt familiar in this book. I felt seen, I wanted to cry. The first time describing dragoning from pure joy made my heart ache. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

micaelacccc's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book means so much to me, it speaks to what our world could be if we only cared for one another and took care of each other, if we only let ourselves experience the freedom we want so badly. Beautiful beautiful writing, I loved it.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

cheye13's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This reads very much like a false history or a fictional memoir, which is my absolute favorite genre. The articles and papers inter-spliced were very cool, but I wish there'd been more of them, or that they tied in with Alex's story more. It did feel like it had about ten endings, but I did enjoy seeing where everyone ended up. 

Everything up until the final part (which was primarily that series of endings) was perfect to me. The tangibility of the time periods, the snippets of everyday magic, the characters reaching out to each other. The whole book really embodies a very specific feeling I have reading about being a woman in those times.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

linnea1801's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

There are badass lesbian scientists and dragons. Do I need to say more?
Expand filter menu Content Warnings