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A review by savvylit
Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"...the nature of daughters, says the creed, is to jump on the mother, tongue gripped tight in their hands; to survive the jaw to become the jaw; to take the place of the monster - that is, the place of the mother - God who initiated them into the world of desire."
This unsettling novel is about motherhood, daughterhood, girlhood, and feminine power. Ojeda crafts beautifully eerie sentences that are evocative to the point of being cinematic. The coven-like group of girls at the story's center is so deliciously unhinged in a way that only teenage girls can be. Their desire for agency and power is the driving factor in the disturbing choices that they make under Annelise's leadership.
All in all, Jawbone is quite the fever dream. I loved Ojeda's evocative style and discussions of female power & relationships. Ultimately, though, the inconsistent timeline interrupted the flow of this story for me. I don't always feel that books need linear timelines but, in this case, I think that Jawbone would have benefited greatly from that feature.
This unsettling novel is about motherhood, daughterhood, girlhood, and feminine power. Ojeda crafts beautifully eerie sentences that are evocative to the point of being cinematic. The coven-like group of girls at the story's center is so deliciously unhinged in a way that only teenage girls can be. Their desire for agency and power is the driving factor in the disturbing choices that they make under Annelise's leadership.
All in all, Jawbone is quite the fever dream. I loved Ojeda's evocative style and discussions of female power & relationships. Ultimately, though, the inconsistent timeline interrupted the flow of this story for me. I don't always feel that books need linear timelines but, in this case, I think that Jawbone would have benefited greatly from that feature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail