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klymko 's review for:
When Women Were Dragons
by Kelly Barnhill
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book tells the story of a world where sometimes, unexpectedly and unpredictably, women (and the occasional man) will turn into dragons, sometimes solo, sometimes in groups, and for reasons not understood, sometimes in extremely large numbers across the country on the same day.
Set mostly in Wisconsin in the 1950s/60s, this book is the memoir of a young girl as she grows up in this environment and the US government and culture tries to deny and then ignore the existence of these dragons.
The premise is fascinating and the book is well-written but about 85% of the way through the cultural and political struggles are tied up in a manner that is tidy and feel-good to the point of being unbelievable, both in the context of the United States of the book and in the context of the United States that exists in the world today. If only fear, disgust, and discrimination could be overcome so easily.
Set mostly in Wisconsin in the 1950s/60s, this book is the memoir of a young girl as she grows up in this environment and the US government and culture tries to deny and then ignore the existence of these dragons.
The premise is fascinating and the book is well-written but about 85% of the way through the cultural and political struggles are tied up in a manner that is tidy and feel-good to the point of being unbelievable, both in the context of the United States of the book and in the context of the United States that exists in the world today. If only fear, disgust, and discrimination could be overcome so easily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Abandonment
Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Death of parent
Minor: Sexual harassment