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A review by bookwormenthusiast
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
emotional
reflective
fast-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
3.5
When I first started reading this book, I had every intention of giving it five stars. I was absolutely in love with it, the plot, the writing style, and the science fiction aspects. I thought it was a telling take on how society views mothers, and I was excited to see where the author would take this story. So, what brought my 5-star read down to a 4, and then a 3.5? Well, it all took place in the second half of the book.
In the beginning, I was really enjoying the fact that the author would leave each chapter/certain sections on a cliffhanger, forcing you to figure out what happened in the following pages rather than saying what happened directly. But after a while, it got a bit old, and very confusing to keep up with everything. What worked when there was less going on, became a bit annoying once there were multiple things to keep track of.
The other reason for lowering my rating came from the end of the book. I was all ready to see how Frida managed once she got out of the school, but I felt like I was left with nothing. I know that's the author's point, to leave you guessing what happened, but it just made me annoyed, because the fact was, I was so invested in this book, in fact, I would struggle to put it down.
The reality is, despite its flaws, I did really love this book and the way the author writes. So much so that this is one of the few times that I felt that the book was too short. I can't wait to see what stories she writes in the future.
In the beginning, I was really enjoying the fact that the author would leave each chapter/certain sections on a cliffhanger, forcing you to figure out what happened in the following pages rather than saying what happened directly. But after a while, it got a bit old, and very confusing to keep up with everything. What worked when there was less going on, became a bit annoying once there were multiple things to keep track of.
The other reason for lowering my rating came from the end of the book. I was all ready to see how Frida managed once she got out of the school, but I felt like I was left with nothing. I know that's the author's point, to leave you guessing what happened, but it just made me annoyed, because the fact was, I was so invested in this book, in fact, I would struggle to put it down.
The reality is, despite its flaws, I did really love this book and the way the author writes. So much so that this is one of the few times that I felt that the book was too short. I can't wait to see what stories she writes in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide, Abandonment
Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts