Reviews with content warning for Lesbophobia - Wayward Girls

Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs, Susan Wiggs

3 reviews

devlaluna2's review against another edition

5.0

let me begin by thanking harper collins, william morrow, and netgalley for both the e-arc, and very unexpectedly, the physical arc of this book! so grateful

susan wiggs’ wayward girls is a heartbreaking, yet hopeful story of surviving trauma, women’s friendships, solidarity, and the abuse endured in Catholic reform schools during the 60s. alternating between a handful of perspectives, we explore the stories of a number of “wayward girls” including queer, bipoc, and pregnant wayward girls disproportionately affected by these institutions, and the significant role they played in each others survival and growth.

i’m not someone who frequents the historical fiction genre, at least not nearly as much as i did when i was younger, but i found myself consumed with this story. a truly beautiful novel

make sure to check trigger warnings, these are many heavy and intense scenes

Content Warnings

kayla_biblioteca's review against another edition

4.75

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

As a big fan of historical fiction, I was excited to read this book! Set in the late 1960s-early 1970s to the present day, the story follows the harrowing experiences of six teenagers who are sent to a reform school run by nuns to ‘cure’ them of various behaviors that were seen as problematic. The girls create strong bonds with one another as they survive trauma and mistreatment at the hands of the nuns and staff of the reform school, which is not a school at all. I became so invested in the lives and experiences of these characters. Susan Wiggs does a wonderful job of telling the story from their perspectives, shifting and changing with their age and resilience as they make it through challenge after challenge.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and William Morrow for an early copy of this book!

Content Warnings

booksbydorothea's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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: No

5.0 stars
HIGHLY recommend

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Oh. My. Goodness!!

Why, oh why, don't parents believe their daughters when something is wrong? Or teach them to trust their gut? Or how to protect themselves? Or why believe that people of authority always know best? Or why are girls to blame for pregnancy, yet boys face no consequences? Why haven't these things changed ever?

Well, this book covers it all! We need to trust the survivors! The previously incarcerated survivors of a fictional Magdalene laundry in Buffalo, New York, tell their story. I blindly believed these laundries were only in Ireland, but there were at least thirty-eight, per the author. Seriously?

The writing, characters, and plot are top-notch! This is an important, difficult, but horrible reflection on our history. It also proves how important history is. True history is important - not the whitewashed crap!

For a more detailed review, check out my blog - booksbydorothea:
https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2025/05/review-wayward-girls-earcebook.html

Content Warnings

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