hwillustrator's review
3.0
A sweet little book about family, acceptance and survival against all odds. The blurb compares it to Animal Farm and Watership Down - it has the feeling of a fable or allegorical tale and comments on human-animal relationships, ‘natural’ pecking orders, and the price of liberation. So fair comparisons. However the key difference is that where those books are intense, brutally violent, and difficult reads this book is a warm and ultimately optimistic story about a hen raising an egg that’s not her own.
ericahester's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
goldenslug's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Death
kimbeey13's review
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ashleyeila's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
librosconte's review against another edition
3.5
book #3 for the Asian Readathon
ay, me dio una pena y una ternura al mismo tiempo💔
ay, me dio una pena y una ternura al mismo tiempo💔
woollyworm's review
5.0
The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly follows a hen who, having spent her life in a coop, longs for anything else. Behind the wire mesh she can see the acacia tree as it flows in and out of the seasons. Admiring the miracle of the growth, she names herself after what she sees to be the beginning of it all - a sprout. It always begins with a sprout. There’s something quite special in the hen, despite her awful conditions, wearing all of the wonder around her, whether there is anyone one to say her new name or not. Painful beauty really encapsulates what Hwang offers with this book.
The book title works well but it could have been called The Hen Who Said Fuck This Noise. Sprout shows sheer determination in the face of a number of major problems the world faces. Slavery and the exploitation of her body are the clear ones, which is inflicted on billions of hens worldwide today. However, even when she escapes her prison she encounters issues such as friendship, bullying, parenthood, loss of civil liberties, xenophobia, racism, bereavement, adoption and rights for refugees. As incredible as the resilience Sprout shows in the face of these themes is the subtle way in which Hwang introduces them. Each issue is pitched at a level which can readily consumed by a diverse audience, including children, with the reader drawing from it the intensity they are comfortable with. This isn’t new, the Simpsons have been doing it for decades, but Hwang executes it perfectly.
What I loved the most of about The Hen Who is the love, loyalty, and empathy shown by the central characters. The finest example of this is Sprout and her newly found friend, Straggler, the lonely mallard duck:
We all need some Sprout and Straggler in our lives.
The book title works well but it could have been called The Hen Who Said Fuck This Noise. Sprout shows sheer determination in the face of a number of major problems the world faces. Slavery and the exploitation of her body are the clear ones, which is inflicted on billions of hens worldwide today. However, even when she escapes her prison she encounters issues such as friendship, bullying, parenthood, loss of civil liberties, xenophobia, racism, bereavement, adoption and rights for refugees. As incredible as the resilience Sprout shows in the face of these themes is the subtle way in which Hwang introduces them. Each issue is pitched at a level which can readily consumed by a diverse audience, including children, with the reader drawing from it the intensity they are comfortable with. This isn’t new, the Simpsons have been doing it for decades, but Hwang executes it perfectly.
What I loved the most of about The Hen Who is the love, loyalty, and empathy shown by the central characters. The finest example of this is Sprout and her newly found friend, Straggler, the lonely mallard duck:
“We look different, so we don’t understand each other’s inner thoughts, but we cherish each other in our own way. I respect you.”
We all need some Sprout and Straggler in our lives.
aphroditv's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-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? No
4.5
razzy_reads's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
marisa_'s review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0