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maggies 's review for:
When Women Were Dragons
by Kelly Barnhill
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-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
Maybe three years after publication, this book already feels a little stale, or I was never really going to like it. I had high hopes, but I was disappointed at how un-subtle it all was. Alex's personal coming-of-age story was lovely, and honestly I kind of wish it had just been that. Instead, the clunky feminist messages—very white woman feminism—and disjointed fantasy elements—dragons, magic knots, etc—were distracting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Abandonment