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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was such a frustrating book. My heart broke for the characters over and over even tho they were pretty unlikable. It was an interesting concept of a book but after about halfway, it began to feel really dragged out and I got a little bored.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Abandonment
Minor: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt
well. i get why i have been seeing folks rave about this book. it is a Good Book. it's well written and frida is a very interesting character, but sadly this was not a book for me.
deep dives into the perils of motherhood are not stories for me. of course, i knew this book was going take a look at motherhood and the policing of childrearing when i picked it up, but i was expecting the dystopian elements and plot to make up for the topic i tend to avoid. unfortunately, that was not the case.
this is not a new universe. this is not handmaid's tale levels of dystopia. this is our current world only slightly worse, where policing of parenting has been ratcheted up. there are little tiny elements that tell you that this is the future - society is very slightly more technologically advanced - but it pretty much feels like the current day. there is one big sci-fi element (i'm being vague to avoid any spoilers) that gets dropped when frida arrives at the school and That Element carries through the story but it is not the driving force of the story. frida is.
there is plot, but this is not a plot-driven book which is what i was looking for when i picked it up. the heart of the book is frida and her story, not exploring or explaining the universe or the One Big Sci-Fi Element. since it is a more internal, character-focused book, the pacing felt slow to me especially since the main topic is already something i don't particularly enjoy. it was agonizing to pick up at points because it is so bleak and everybody is so sad. i almost dnf-ed at multiple points (including in the first quarter before frida had even gotten to the school) because i found it difficult to keep reading.
like i said, i get why people like this book. it deserves all the praise and accolades it is getting. i probably will pick up the next book jessamine chan writes because i thought the characterization of frida was excellent and it book is well written. she is a talented writer. "the school for good mothers" was just not the book for me.
deep dives into the perils of motherhood are not stories for me. of course, i knew this book was going take a look at motherhood and the policing of childrearing when i picked it up, but i was expecting the dystopian elements and plot to make up for the topic i tend to avoid. unfortunately, that was not the case.
this is not a new universe. this is not handmaid's tale levels of dystopia. this is our current world only slightly worse, where policing of parenting has been ratcheted up. there are little tiny elements that tell you that this is the future - society is very slightly more technologically advanced - but it pretty much feels like the current day. there is one big sci-fi element (i'm being vague to avoid any spoilers) that gets dropped when frida arrives at the school and That Element carries through the story but it is not the driving force of the story. frida is.
there is plot, but this is not a plot-driven book which is what i was looking for when i picked it up. the heart of the book is frida and her story, not exploring or explaining the universe or the One Big Sci-Fi Element. since it is a more internal, character-focused book, the pacing felt slow to me especially since the main topic is already something i don't particularly enjoy. it was agonizing to pick up at points because it is so bleak and everybody is so sad. i almost dnf-ed at multiple points (including in the first quarter before frida had even gotten to the school) because i found it difficult to keep reading.
like i said, i get why people like this book. it deserves all the praise and accolades it is getting. i probably will pick up the next book jessamine chan writes because i thought the characterization of frida was excellent and it book is well written. she is a talented writer. "the school for good mothers" was just not the book for me.
dark
I don’t know whether to love or hate this book. What a roller coaster ride. I wanted a different ending. I wanted the whole school to be brought down.
This book had an interesting concept and kept me hooked until the end…where it seemed to just fall flat. I was left wanting more, and felt the ending was rushed. I did enjoy the authors writing style, and the dystopian theme throughout the book.
Maybe dystopian books aren’t for me.
I think one of the things that bothered me was how extreme this one sector of life is, and the rest is all unfazed. To me it’s like, if you’re going to go all Big Brother, then commit across the board and not just target those who are caught. Lord. What is this saying about me? Or at least show symptoms in the outside world for something that’s so regulated. Otherwise, rather than have it court mandated, almost make it a wellness journey cult that had good intentions on the outside to recruit people wanting to get “better,” but then reveal how manipulative and terrible it in on the inside.
This is for fans of Handmaids and Orange is the New Black.
Frida is the mother of a small child, having just separated from her husband who had an affair and is now living with his new girlfriend. Needing a break one afternoon, she leaves her daughter at home to grab coffee and run by the office only to find that her neighbors had called the police to report her for abandonment. To earn back parental rights, she’s forced to go to a school for mothers for a year where she must complete required training and adhere to their strict guidelines while learning to nurture a robot child.
I was over Frida pretty quickly, but maybe that’s the point.
I think one of the things that bothered me was how extreme this one sector of life is, and the rest is all unfazed. To me it’s like, if you’re going to go all Big Brother, then commit across the board and not just target those who are caught. Lord. What is this saying about me? Or at least show symptoms in the outside world for something that’s so regulated. Otherwise, rather than have it court mandated, almost make it a wellness journey cult that had good intentions on the outside to recruit people wanting to get “better,” but then reveal how manipulative and terrible it in on the inside.
This is for fans of Handmaids and Orange is the New Black.
Frida is the mother of a small child, having just separated from her husband who had an affair and is now living with his new girlfriend. Needing a break one afternoon, she leaves her daughter at home to grab coffee and run by the office only to find that her neighbors had called the police to report her for abandonment. To earn back parental rights, she’s forced to go to a school for mothers for a year where she must complete required training and adhere to their strict guidelines while learning to nurture a robot child.
I was over Frida pretty quickly, but maybe that’s the point.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DNF at 39%
satires/social commentary novels are my thing. I also generally like dystopian anything (even zombies) and prison novels or memoirs, so I should have been primed for this. Nope
satires/social commentary novels are my thing. I also generally like dystopian anything (even zombies) and prison novels or memoirs, so I should have been primed for this. Nope
Nekenčiu veikėjų, siužeto ir net rašymo stiliaus - po 100 puslapių niekas nesikeičia, tad nematau prasmės kankintis.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced