Scan barcode
joayenne's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Infuriating. Overwhelming. Blazing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
hannahpings's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
3.75
didn't really grip me until the third act, which was wonderful––and retrospectively enhanced the first and second, closing a loop and tying off a careful and intricate knot that barnhill began on dragons' first page. some strong craftmanship and a remarkably well-earned emotional payoff that i'm not ashamed to say made me weep.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Misogyny, Cancer, Grief, Abandonment, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Sexism
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: War and Violence
thequiltyreader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-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
3.5
I've flip flopped a lot on how to review this book.
Initially I thought this book had a lot of promise based on the blurb and positive reviews. However I have mixed feelings now I've finished it.
Overall I did enjoy the read, however the first half was very slow and incredibly repetitive. It touched on the life of women around the 1950's / 1960's and what they were often subjected to / expected of them.I found there was nothing around the development of women's right but there was around dragons rights .
I would also have preferred to have learnt a bit more about the dragons, how they felt, more around what they explored and why andalso why a lot chose to return and why at that point in time and why hadn't there been anyone else return from earlier dragonings .
I also felt there was a lot ofsuggestion that the knots somehow played a role in keeping Alex from dragoning but it was never explained if that was the case. .
So overall I enjoyed it but felt it was lacking in some areas.
Initially I thought this book had a lot of promise based on the blurb and positive reviews. However I have mixed feelings now I've finished it.
Overall I did enjoy the read, however the first half was very slow and incredibly repetitive. It touched on the life of women around the 1950's / 1960's and what they were often subjected to / expected of them.
I would also have preferred to have learnt a bit more about the dragons, how they felt, more around what they explored and why and
I also felt there was a lot of
So overall I enjoyed it but felt it was lacking in some areas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Cancer, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
rachel101's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was slow to start but definitely worth staying with, I was completely lost in it and couldn’t put it down…
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders
booking_along's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
i went into this book expecting a bit of a strange read and while that certainly is part of this book, it was also an extremely honest an real look at women and their life’s and while it had this magical realism fantasy aspect of women turning into dragons- the actual overall topic was very much about women in general - at least for me.
it was almost a commentary about what women went through and how that could have gone if women would have been more physical powerfully - how men couldn’t have kept pushing women down as much and wouldn’t have gotten away with as much so easily as they did and still do.
now you don’t have to read too much into this book.
you can also just read it as a story of a girl growing into a women and more or less sharing her life story and how the world was that she grew and old in with the ability of women to become dragons.
it’s written in a bit of a slower sometimes almost meandering tone, so don’t go into this expecting a fast paced or action packed story.
each book by this author -i read at least 3 of hers now- were completely different and had nothing to do with the other. they differentiated from tone to topic to amount of fantastic elements and plot completely.
this author isn’t one that just because you liked one book means you enjoy an other or the other way around - or you can love them all because they are all so different and in ways uniquely done.
i really enjoyed this and while k did thing that the middle part dragged a little bit and i would have absolutely loved this if it would have verbs little bit shorter it was a fantastic read and such a different book that i know i want to come back and experience it all over again at some point.
it was almost a commentary about what women went through and how that could have gone if women would have been more physical powerfully - how men couldn’t have kept pushing women down as much and wouldn’t have gotten away with as much so easily as they did and still do.
now you don’t have to read too much into this book.
you can also just read it as a story of a girl growing into a women and more or less sharing her life story and how the world was that she grew and old in with the ability of women to become dragons.
it’s written in a bit of a slower sometimes almost meandering tone, so don’t go into this expecting a fast paced or action packed story.
each book by this author -i read at least 3 of hers now- were completely different and had nothing to do with the other. they differentiated from tone to topic to amount of fantastic elements and plot completely.
this author isn’t one that just because you liked one book means you enjoy an other or the other way around - or you can love them all because they are all so different and in ways uniquely done.
i really enjoyed this and while k did thing that the middle part dragged a little bit and i would have absolutely loved this if it would have verbs little bit shorter it was a fantastic read and such a different book that i know i want to come back and experience it all over again at some point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Sexism, Alcohol, and Grief
sadiaa's review against another edition
2.75
The premise of the book is interesting, women suddenly turning into dragons and societies denial of the existence of dragons. This book took me forever to finish, I kept picking it up and putting it down. I found myself skipping pages at a time, I was only interested in Alex and Beatrice's story. I found myself angry at the misogyny Alex faced, "no point getting an education when you'll just become a wife and mother", it was infuriating and testament to how women deal with adversity.
I loved the female rage aspect of the book,when the dragons attack the abusive men in their lives, I wish Alex got her revenge on her teacher, he was insufferable.
It just failed to hold my interest and I struggled through this book, determined not to dnf
I loved the female rage aspect of the book,
It just failed to hold my interest and I struggled through this book, determined not to dnf
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Grief, Homophobia, Death, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
machenn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Misogyny, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Cancer
miniingrid's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Esperaba otro tipo de historia, y sigo pensando que tiene mucho potencial desperdiciado. Pero me alegro de no haberlo abandonado porque en realidad no es una mala historia, simplemente no es la que me habría gustado leer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Sexism, Terminal illness, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Cancer, Grief, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol and Alcoholism
percys_panda_pillow_pet's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
This book gave me trauma, and I'm only half-joking. Okay, for real though, When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill cracked open a lot of feelings and thoughts I've had all my life and especially now as an adult as I try to explore exactly who I am in this world. This book is about identity, it is about trauma, it is about rage, it is about so much more than you can put into words.
When Kelly Barnhill wants you to believe in something, she puts her whole soul into it. By the end of this book, I was convinced that dragoning was real, and wondering why I couldn't dragon myself away, or even if I could. I know at times her metaphor can fall apart at the seams, but that's honestly what helped ground it for me. These are dragons, these are women. Dragoning can mean everything and it can mean nothing, though the latter would be unusual. Pretty much every time, that meaning made me want to cry. Often, I did cry while reading this book. And after finishing it too. It struck a chord in me so forcefully: the depiction of female generational trauma and the mixing of rage and sadness and hurt and unfairness and love one can have for their mother.
At times, I was a bit frustrated with Barnhill's decisions throughout the book. I needed a bit more about trans people and what dragoning meant for them, and I know I am not alone in feeling like the intersectional aspects of feminism were a bit lacking, though in some ways that seems par for the course of the 50s and 60s. This book filled me with emptiness at the lack of catharsis in some areas. There was a lot of build up and not enough resolution for me at times. Which, in some ways, feels perfect for the messiness of life, that truthfully we don't often get the catharsis we need. But I disliked the hollowness and in the end, I felt dissatisfied and want to scream, "Why?" and "It isn't fair!"
Do not look to this book to heal you, it will wring you dry. I can't wait for the day I will reread this, and pick things apart more. And maybe by then I'll have actually settled on a star rating for this book. For now, I leave that empty. This book is too much for me now.
When Kelly Barnhill wants you to believe in something, she puts her whole soul into it. By the end of this book, I was convinced that dragoning was real, and wondering why I couldn't dragon myself away, or even if I could. I know at times her metaphor can fall apart at the seams, but that's honestly what helped ground it for me. These are dragons, these are women. Dragoning can mean everything and it can mean nothing, though the latter would be unusual. Pretty much every time, that meaning made me want to cry. Often, I did cry while reading this book. And after finishing it too. It struck a chord in me so forcefully: the depiction of female generational trauma and the mixing of rage and sadness and hurt and unfairness and love one can have for their mother.
At times, I was a bit frustrated with Barnhill's decisions throughout the book. I needed a bit more about trans people and what dragoning meant for them, and I know I am not alone in feeling like the intersectional aspects of feminism were a bit lacking, though in some ways that seems par for the course of the 50s and 60s. This book filled me with emptiness at the lack of catharsis in some areas. There was a lot of build up and not enough resolution for me at times. Which, in some ways, feels perfect for the messiness of life, that truthfully we don't often get the catharsis we need. But I disliked the hollowness and in the end, I felt dissatisfied and want to scream, "Why?" and "It isn't fair!"
Do not look to this book to heal you, it will wring you dry. I can't wait for the day I will reread this, and pick things apart more. And maybe by then I'll have actually settled on a star rating for this book. For now, I leave that empty. This book is too much for me now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Cancer, Death of parent, Abandonment, Grief, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Body shaming, Violence, Outing, Sexual harassment, Rape, Child abuse, and Confinement
Minor: Gun violence, Transphobia, Sexual violence, Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, War, and Drug use
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