A review by monicalaurette
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

adventurous emotional inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

What a beautifully written book that touches on the world back in the day but also current day (if you look enough). I think women turning into dragons is a very interesting concept and the way that it was written out was also compelling. It's not something you can stop, or predict, and even really document.

Who benefits when knowledge is buried? Who gains when science succumbs to political expediency? 

Told alongside research and writings from a scientist looking into the dragoning it gave me a very good view into the world that this book takes place in, even if it's not our world it felt like it could been. Who says there aren't dragons out there and the gov't hasn't covered it up like they did in the book - has anyone checked on Barnhill since publication?

When power belongs, not to the violent, and not to the wealthy and well-connected, but to the people, a different sort of future begins to present itself. 

Alex and her dad made me cry thinking about my dad and our strained relationship - even if mine was better than Alex's dad

Sonja coming back for like two chapters to fall in love with Alex just to leave again HURT me personally

I wish more was talked about with the knots Alex's mother made and why Alex never felt the pull to dragon
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