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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Based on circumstances and theories...thought provoking disturbing...recommended to me to read. I will remember it.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Frida’s life is not going as planned, husband or job. But her one bright spot is her daughter Harriet. Until Frida’s very bad day. Then the state takes Harriet and sends Frida to the school for good mothers. So she can learn to be a good mother and get Harriet back.
Not being a mother, I appreciated how Chan brought the desperation of the mothers to life. Their love, hurt, anger, frustration, hopelessness was felt on every page. I loved the creepy, unnerving dystopian aspect of the story, but it also had me wondering just how easily something like this could happen.
Not being a mother, I appreciated how Chan brought the desperation of the mothers to life. Their love, hurt, anger, frustration, hopelessness was felt on every page. I loved the creepy, unnerving dystopian aspect of the story, but it also had me wondering just how easily something like this could happen.
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
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
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Self harm, Suicide
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think this book should become a modern classic. It was deeply moving. It had me considering what love is and how easily women, especially mothers, are taught to doubt themselves.
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
dark
emotional
sad
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
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
So slow and repetitive. Strong beginning but the middle and end were tough. I felt like there was SO many opportunities to do something interesting, but nothing really ever happened.
This book explores fascinating, complex issues in parenting and how our society views parents, some of which I hadn't thought of before. Unfortunately, the world it creates to do so is a huge drag- this just was not fun to read at all, even though it was thought-provoking.
challenging
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sadly this book was a total flop for me, had it not been chosen as a buddy read I would have DNF’d.
My biggest gripe with this book is how the writing felt almost like reading a shopping list! Just a recount of events without any emotional depth or key development points attachment to them. Especially when getting to the end I genuinely feel like Frieda isn’t any different to before.
Additionally the writing felt so disjointed, this sedated slow paced writing with random snippets of graphic sexual references was jarring and didn’t add anything to the book at all.
The premise of a school could have been pushed so much further. This book felt like it missed so many possible opportunities to create interesting hooks … - Could Freida of fallen in love with a woman? Could the bad mothers rioted? Could she have stolen her robot baby? … all could of been so much more interesting. Instead I feel like this book relied so heavily on a half baked concept with a lack of any intriguing plot points for me.
Overall a really disappointing read for me across the board.
My biggest gripe with this book is how the writing felt almost like reading a shopping list! Just a recount of events without any emotional depth or key development points attachment to them. Especially when getting to the end I genuinely feel like Frieda isn’t any different to before.
Additionally the writing felt so disjointed, this sedated slow paced writing with random snippets of graphic sexual references was jarring and didn’t add anything to the book at all.
The premise of a school could have been pushed so much further. This book felt like it missed so many possible opportunities to create interesting hooks … -
Overall a really disappointing read for me across the board.