A review by jlautry
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was unexpectedly incredibly good. I didn’t really read much of what it was about so a few parts caught me off guard and really threw me for a loop (in a good way).

It’s a bit of a dystopian novel and really highlights the pressures that mothers face in society. The author had an incredible way of making you feel sorry for the characters, but also very much disliking them. None of the characters are loveable, and most are not hateable either. This takes an Animal Farm approach to child protective services and other related government agencies. Even though this is a dystopian setting, much of what happened has already happened to mothers and it’s tragic to say the least. 

Towards the end, I found myself skimming pages and skipping paragraphs. I felt like it went just a little too long before getting to the conclusion of the story. It could have been about 40 pages shorter. 

Overall, this book was unexpectedly a win for me. It also happened to coincide with some events that caused this to hit close to home, so it was a little extra emotional for me. I think it is definitely worth the read. 

A single lapse in judgement by a mom stretched impossibly thin lands her in a government reform program she must complete and pass in order to get her daughter back. Any mom that’s ever had a terrible day at her wits end will be able to relate and sympathize with Frida, while also judging her with a hard side eye. 
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