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violetturtledove's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
I mistakenly thought from the description of this story as a 'fairytale' it might be a bit too cute and saccharine. It is not. The best fairytales are actually a mix of magic and horror, and so is this book. And although I have no personal experience I believe the same could be said for motherhood!
You've got to suspend your disbelief for this one and not ask too many questions. Is the narrator reliable? How much of this is literal and how much is metaphor? Is this our world seen through a different lens, or do different rules apply here? How do we reconcile Tiny's experiences with the reactions of those around her (are they overreacting at something slightly out of the ordinary, or being shockingly calm in the face of a medical marvel?). The morals of the story, and the balance of magic and horror, changes quite a bit depending on how literally you take it.
Does the owl-baby represent a trans child, a disabled child, an autistic child? All of these fit in some ways but not others. Some of the details of the book may recall some of these experiences, but it's not a straightforward allegory of anything more specific than 'letting your child be themself'. Or maybe just 'this is what being a parent is like'. In the words of the author 'the child in the novel is an owl'.
It's sweet but also very unsettling, and I felt frustrated on Tiny's behalf as her opinions are constantly ignored, her feelings dismissed and her actions misinterpreted. And fair warning (hopefully not too much of a spoiler in a book about an apex predator), there's a lot of animal death. But if you can handle these aspects it's well worth reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
redrockhoney's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content and Excrement
Minor: Abortion
ra22ouille's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
I felt rabid reading this, it was so filling and made me yearn.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Medical trauma
strawberrysky's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
rory1387's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Chouette by Claire Oshetsky was a wild book to start off 2022. It follows a woman who becomes pregnant with a baby that is half owl, her final decision to keep it, her struggles with juggling her career as a violinist with being a mother to her child, and her frequent fights with her husband over whether or not they should attempt to "fix" their daughter. Oshetsky masterfully constructs believable -- yet some still undeniably toxic -- relationship dynamics that work together to form a realistic backdrop for such an absurd book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Abortion
tualha's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
My experience of this book was odd. I completely enjoyed the concept and the themes. Who wouldn't be excited by the story of an owl baby produced by illicit lesbian owl-human-love? I was drawn to the fierceness of the depiction of motherhood, of protecting your child from forces that would seek to "fix" her, the hollowness that can result from caring for a child, let alone with needs unlike those of "dog children". Chouette doesn't really set out to give you any answers, and leaves you with a lot more questions, and a general feeling of unease for most of the book. This is generally a quality I like in books. But I felt like there was something missing for me to hold onto in this book, like a thread of music I couldn't quite catch.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Abortion