Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

4 reviews

mamaewalk's review

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

Creative, unique, and utterly badass story. Reads like a memoir. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Misogyny

Minor: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, Fire/Fire injury, and Panic attacks/disorders

bubblegirl858's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

5.0

For my 2023 book rating system I gave this book 5 stars. This was our January Book Club read and I really enjoyed this book, even though it also frustrated me. It was a highly feminist novel told from a point of view that is not often seen, a child who is being forced to grow up too quickly in a world that doesn't explain how anything works and actively tries to suppress information. I really enjoyed the whole plot of women turning into dragons. It is a fantastic idea. Setting it in the 50's was also such an amazing way to show how men, the government, the public in general, and women who have internalized misogyny treat other women. The suppression of women's issues as being "sensitive" or "vulgar" is insane to most modern women, but it is how the world has always been and continues to be in some places, even if the normalization of speaking about women's issues and rights grows. This novel perfectly illustrated how children are taught to hate and be bigoted, how women are taught to shrink themselves and make themselves more palatable, and how love is love. It is not a choice to be gay or straight, it is not taught, it is just how it is. The only downsides/detractions that I had about this book was that it spent the majority of the time in her childhood, and then when it skipped to her teenage/young adult life the plot moved blindingly fast and we didn't get nearly enough time to understand the woman who she became. I would have liked to have explored a bit more of her adult life. The characters in this book were equally loveable and hateable. An equal balance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Alcohol, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Abandonment

Minor: Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Pregnancy

itsheyfay's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Death, Cancer, and Grief

Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

kshertz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I friggin loved this book. It could be the time period. I love the idea of women becoming dragons spontaneously in 1955. It’s a result of anytime the woman is suppressed, or had their rights pushed away, or tried to be put in a box. There’s a few stories going on but the main is a family where the mom doesn’t spontaneously dragon but probably should have, and the aunt does. The young daughter is left to pick up the pieces and decide what she and her cousin (pretend now sister) will do. Her dad is trash. The other side is people trying to silence all the dragonings happening. There are fake centers for learning and congressional hearings. It’s just brilliant in my humble opinion. I only loved it more when I found out it was written and dedicated to Christine Blasey Ford and written after the Brett Kavanaugh hearing. I think if you’re currently enraged and feeling helpless, this book made me feel a little less alone. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Child abuse, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Biphobia, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Murder