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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I completely agree with the author when she said, “not the most relaxing read but hopefully worth it.” This story made me so very angry and there is a lot of social, economic, and cultural topics to unpack in this book. It really made for a great book club selection! The writing style when the main character gets to the school didn’t flow well for me, but the beginning and ending kept me intrigued. If you do read this book check out the article the author references in her acknowledgements.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I feel like there was so much hype around this book. Which I don’t really understand
While I did not hate it, I did not like it. To be honest I did not like anything about it. The story. The characters. The ending. Nothing.
My biggest problem with this book was that the whole story revolves around a woman who did something really bad. REALLY bad. And dangerous. Yet I felt as though this was downplayed. Almost as though I was expected to feel sorry for her. Sorry that she was being punished for something that definitely warranted punishment. I understand that sometimes people are put in horrible situations and forced to make extremely difficult decisions. But this was not one of those situations. This was a woman with options and resources who chose to do something really stupid. If she was suffering from PPD, this is never expressed, and it’s left to the reader to assume she just didn’t care enough to do right by her child.
Then there were characters who were being punished for far lesser offences or even accidents and we’re treated at though these were just as bad, or even worse. I don’t know if that was because that’s how the author feels or if that was to further illustrate the insanity surrounding this “school for bad mothers”
This book made me angry about a lot of things as it delt with many hard hitting topics. But there were so many uncomfortable interactions that I got lost in all the fights being fought.
While I did not hate it, I did not like it. To be honest I did not like anything about it. The story. The characters. The ending. Nothing.
My biggest problem with this book was that the whole story revolves around a woman who did something really bad. REALLY bad. And dangerous. Yet I felt as though this was downplayed. Almost as though I was expected to feel sorry for her. Sorry that she was being punished for something that definitely warranted punishment. I understand that sometimes people are put in horrible situations and forced to make extremely difficult decisions. But this was not one of those situations. This was a woman with options and resources who chose to do something really stupid. If she was suffering from PPD, this is never expressed, and it’s left to the reader to assume she just didn’t care enough to do right by her child.
Then there were characters who were being punished for far lesser offences or even accidents and we’re treated at though these were just as bad, or even worse. I don’t know if that was because that’s how the author feels or if that was to further illustrate the insanity surrounding this “school for bad mothers”
This book made me angry about a lot of things as it delt with many hard hitting topics. But there were so many uncomfortable interactions that I got lost in all the fights being fought.
I feel like there was so much hype around this book. Which I don’t really understand
While I did not hate it, I did not like it. To be honest I did not like anything about it. The story. The characters. The ending. Nothing.
My biggest problem with this book was that the whole story revolves around a woman who did something really bad. REALLY bad. And dangerous. Yet I felt as though this was downplayed. Almost as though I was expected to feel sorry for her. Sorry that she was being punished for something that definitely warranted punishment. I understand that sometimes people are put in horrible situations and forced to make extremely difficult decisions. But this was not one of those situations. This was a woman with options and resources who chose to do something really stupid. If she was suffering from PPD, this is never expressed, and it’s left to the reader to assume she just didn’t care enough to do right by her child.
Having said that there were characters who were being punished for far lesser offences or even accidents and we’re treated at though these were just as bad, or even worse. I don’t know if that was because that’s how the author feels or if that was to further illustrate the insanity surrounding this “school for bad mothers”
This book made me angry about a lot of things as it delt with many hard hitting topics. But there were so many uncomfortable interactions that I got lost in all the fights being fought.
While I did not hate it, I did not like it. To be honest I did not like anything about it. The story. The characters. The ending. Nothing.
My biggest problem with this book was that the whole story revolves around a woman who did something really bad. REALLY bad. And dangerous. Yet I felt as though this was downplayed. Almost as though I was expected to feel sorry for her. Sorry that she was being punished for something that definitely warranted punishment. I understand that sometimes people are put in horrible situations and forced to make extremely difficult decisions. But this was not one of those situations. This was a woman with options and resources who chose to do something really stupid. If she was suffering from PPD, this is never expressed, and it’s left to the reader to assume she just didn’t care enough to do right by her child.
Having said that there were characters who were being punished for far lesser offences or even accidents and we’re treated at though these were just as bad, or even worse. I don’t know if that was because that’s how the author feels or if that was to further illustrate the insanity surrounding this “school for bad mothers”
This book made me angry about a lot of things as it delt with many hard hitting topics. But there were so many uncomfortable interactions that I got lost in all the fights being fought.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a very emotional book that kept me guessing. There were lots of twists and turns throughout and often I wasn’t sure who could be trusted. While I wanted what was best for the main character and her family, I often did not know what that was. There were times that I felt bad got her but other times that I was upset with her. The whole book was from her point of view, and often I quested if her point of view was what was really happening. Overall an interesting read that I enjoyed.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A dystopian horror that felt entirely too plausible. Through Frida’s predicament, author Jessamine Chan reveals our current society’s lack of support for parents and the unattainable expectations put on mothers specifically. There’s also some chilling consequences of mass surveillance and racism. The tensions and frustrations in this novel were very well done. However, while Frida’s lessons at the school served as natural drivers of the plot, I didn’t feel like there was enough build up to a climax. Perhaps that was intentional considering the results of Frida’s assessment. Nevertheless, it was still a highly engaging and terrifying read.