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dealingwithdragons's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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? Yes
5.0
I loved this book. I especially appreciated that the moment I wondered "where are the trans dragons" was the moment the trans dragons showed up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Cancer, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Gun violence
The mentions of guns are mainly in the context of "dragons are bulletproof". Body horror is entirely women turning into dragons.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.
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
black_cat_iiix's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Terminal illness, and Racism
Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, and Medical content
sarahreadsromance's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I felt the purpose of this book got muddled along the way. It was very slow-paced. I appreciated the complexity of the relationships, but there were a lot of loose ends that didn’t tie off, in my opinion. Maybe that was the point. The sentimentality at the end redeemed the rest of the book for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Homophobia, Sexism, and Child abuse
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
okaylauren's review
adventurous
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Homophobia
Moderate: Cancer and Child abuse
morganpearcy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was amazing. I really can’t rave about it enough. The pace was perfect, the characters well flawed, the character development was spot on. The book explored a lot of women and women-aligning folx’s lives and all the rage that builds up over time. I was somewhat skeptical for the first few chapters as the style of writing (going from news clippings to a kid’s perspective and back) screamed YA and that wasn’t what I was expecting. However the style matured with the main character and I grew to love the book. Be prepared with tissues, something to throw besides the book, possibly something to punch and a friend with whom to discuss it. It deals with a lot of tough topics that generations as recent as my Mother’s and Grandmother’s had to deal with on a regular basis. Also as an LGBT person, the lesbian romance that was natural and not erotic or the focus really REALLY made me feel seen and squeal a lot - for the out teenage years I never got and all the could-have-been-s. I really loved the ending to the book. This was one of those books where when it ends you feel like you’ve lost a good friend and have to dial things back somewhat to heal.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse and Medical trauma
kbpfaulkner's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexism, Homophobia, Child abuse, and Abandonment
mooshake's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
"women do be dragons" i say with tears rolling down my face
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Homophobia, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Body horror, Cancer, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury
cameronreads's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
This book, whilst not completely revolutionary, nor all-encompassing, was an interesting read, with a compelling concept. The writing was very good, with some very quotable lines, and I liked how it was told as an autobiography. I though the characters were suitably complex and interesting to read about, and I loved exploring the relationships Alex had with everyone around her. It didn’t exactly bring anything new to the table, and whilst it did touch on the intersectionality between being a women and being trans (although in a somewhat clunky way, with trans women once described as ‘women by choice’) there was no touching on race, which was disappointing, especially considering when this books was set and the means of protesting and discrimination that we saw. I wouldn’t recommend this as a book to open your eyes to something, or to challenge your views on feminism, but I would as an enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Cancer, Death, Sexism, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Physical abuse and Medical content
spaceseagull321's review
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Terminal illness
Moderate: Chronic illness, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Child abuse and Lesbophobia