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mirabookz's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-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
5.0
Anyone who has ever felt different, frustrated by rejection and isolation, will connect strongly with this novel. J. Albert Mann made this even more true by including historically accurate depictions of what it meant to be different when different meant wrong, criminal, dangerous. Still today, it can be. As we grow in many ways, we are stunted or reduced in others. I cried a lot. My heart swelled with the beauty and power of the young girls I could see myself in. We all could be degenerates depending on who is in charge, who has the power. That is something we should not forget.
lattelibrarian's review
5.0
This was fantastic, spit-fire, tough and tumble, rough and rumble. When four teenagers meet at the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded, they find commonalities in the fact that they don't so much need taking care of or help, but that they simply do not fit in. Their families don't visit them, they try to run away, they slog through repetitive classes and lessons designed by teachers who couldn't care less. But once they realize that they're in it together, they begin to make plans to leave. For good.
Occasionally switching between perspectives, we get a deep and enriching perspective of historical Boston and the horrors that late 1800s/early 1900s America provided to those with different abilities. We see the Fairmont Copley Plaza (RIP Carly Copley) and East Boston, not to mention references to Springfield and other nearby towns.
I just loved seeing these girls grow into fiercer, more obstinate versions of themselves. Before (with the exception of London) where they might have sat back and taken what came at them, they now ready themselves for any challenge, unafraid to band together to make sure nobody is hurt by the aids, nurses, or School bullies.
I'd also be leaving out a big chunk of my review if I didn't mention just how impressively diverse this book is. We have London, an Italian-American pregnant girl; Alice, a black club-footed girl; Maxine, a lesbian; and Rose, a youth with developmental disabilities. Together, they pack a punch and are the epitome of ride or die. I'm so excited for this book when it comes out, I've already requested it for my library system and I just cannot stop talking about it. Read this book, recommend it to your local librarian, shove it into the hands of your best friend. It's. So. Good.
Review cross-listed here!
Occasionally switching between perspectives, we get a deep and enriching perspective of historical Boston and the horrors that late 1800s/early 1900s America provided to those with different abilities. We see the Fairmont Copley Plaza (RIP Carly Copley) and East Boston, not to mention references to Springfield and other nearby towns.
I just loved seeing these girls grow into fiercer, more obstinate versions of themselves. Before (with the exception of London) where they might have sat back and taken what came at them, they now ready themselves for any challenge, unafraid to band together to make sure nobody is hurt by the aids, nurses, or School bullies.
I'd also be leaving out a big chunk of my review if I didn't mention just how impressively diverse this book is. We have London, an Italian-American pregnant girl; Alice, a black club-footed girl; Maxine, a lesbian; and Rose, a youth with developmental disabilities. Together, they pack a punch and are the epitome of ride or die. I'm so excited for this book when it comes out, I've already requested it for my library system and I just cannot stop talking about it. Read this book, recommend it to your local librarian, shove it into the hands of your best friend. It's. So. Good.
Review cross-listed here!
booksnbeanies's review
4.0
This was an eye-opening, and heart-breaking book. Based on real women, The Degenerates is about four women who are considered 'morons' or 'feebleminded' and are therefore made to stay in this school for the rest of their lives. Alice is there because she has a club foot, Maxine is there because she was caught kissing girls, and Maxine's sister Rose is there because she has down syndrome. London joins them after being taken from the home she was living in after becoming pregnant without being married. These women are made to do the same things every single day and if they put one toe out of line, they are put in the 'cages' which are even worse than their daily routines.
This book is sad, but brilliantly written. I say this book is an eye-opener because I'm disabled and had I lived in that time period I might have ended up there as well.
I would recommend this book to everyone who loves true historical fiction.
Thank you, NetGalley and Antheum Books for Young Readers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is sad, but brilliantly written. I say this book is an eye-opener because I'm disabled and had I lived in that time period I might have ended up there as well.
I would recommend this book to everyone who loves true historical fiction.
Thank you, NetGalley and Antheum Books for Young Readers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
brittany88's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
4.5
sleepysamreads's review
5.0
You can find this review and others on my blog SleepySamReads!
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book took my breath away. It was gorgeous and heartbreaking. I honestly loved all four of the main characters so much, which is unusual. When there’s so many POVs one or two are bound to be unfavorable, but I honestly loved reading all of theirs.
Alice is a young black girl who was abandoned at The Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded for her club foot. She is only one of two black girls at the school so she has to adhere to an even stricter set of rules than the other girls. She is hopelessly in love with Maxine, though she never shows it.
Maxine is the dreamer of the group. She dreams up unbelievable futures for her and her younger sister, Rose. And if she was being honest, for Alice too. Maxine does the best to take care of her sister after her mother dropped them both off nearly 5 years ago.
Rose is Maxine’s younger sister who has Down syndrome. She is sunshine. I absolutely loved reading her POV. I have never read a book with the POV of someone with Down syndrome and I absolutely love learning more about Rose. She’s not as naive as her sister would like to believe. She helps the new charge, London, squirrel away rations to run aways with.
London is a fighter. You really can’t describe her any other way. She has had a life of heartbreak after heartbreak. Her parents are both dead by the time she is four and she bounces around from shitty foster homes until she lands with the Old Lady who is a little less shitty than everyone else. Unfortunately, London is dragged to The Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded after becoming pregnant at 14 without being married.
This story is about these four girls trying to survive in such a horrible, horrible place. I really really loved all of them and loved this story so much.
I love that the author did A TON of research and based all the characters off real people in history. All these girls existed. It was heartbreaking to see her lay out the references she had detailing these very real girls who had to go through all this heartbreak. All the teachers, doctors, and attendants existed as well. How any human being can treat other human beings that way truly baffles me.
I think it was a little bit of a shock to realize that because of my disabilities and my sexuality I could have very easily been amongst them had I been born a century earlier.
The only negative thing I do have to say about this story is that I didn’t love how the story was left so open for two of the characters. I know that it was very realistic, but I wish we could have had just a little bit of closure.
I think this really educates on the history of eugenics and I highly recommend giving it a read!
I will end this review on this note; I do highly recommend this book but PLEASE be careful. There’s a very explicit scene of a late term miscarriage. It was very hard for me to read and I know it will be triggering to some. Be cautious!
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book took my breath away. It was gorgeous and heartbreaking. I honestly loved all four of the main characters so much, which is unusual. When there’s so many POVs one or two are bound to be unfavorable, but I honestly loved reading all of theirs.
Alice is a young black girl who was abandoned at The Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded for her club foot. She is only one of two black girls at the school so she has to adhere to an even stricter set of rules than the other girls. She is hopelessly in love with Maxine, though she never shows it.
Maxine is the dreamer of the group. She dreams up unbelievable futures for her and her younger sister, Rose. And if she was being honest, for Alice too. Maxine does the best to take care of her sister after her mother dropped them both off nearly 5 years ago.
Rose is Maxine’s younger sister who has Down syndrome. She is sunshine. I absolutely loved reading her POV. I have never read a book with the POV of someone with Down syndrome and I absolutely love learning more about Rose. She’s not as naive as her sister would like to believe. She helps the new charge, London, squirrel away rations to run aways with.
London is a fighter. You really can’t describe her any other way. She has had a life of heartbreak after heartbreak. Her parents are both dead by the time she is four and she bounces around from shitty foster homes until she lands with the Old Lady who is a little less shitty than everyone else. Unfortunately, London is dragged to The Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded after becoming pregnant at 14 without being married.
This story is about these four girls trying to survive in such a horrible, horrible place. I really really loved all of them and loved this story so much.
I love that the author did A TON of research and based all the characters off real people in history. All these girls existed. It was heartbreaking to see her lay out the references she had detailing these very real girls who had to go through all this heartbreak. All the teachers, doctors, and attendants existed as well. How any human being can treat other human beings that way truly baffles me.
I think it was a little bit of a shock to realize that because of my disabilities and my sexuality I could have very easily been amongst them had I been born a century earlier.
The only negative thing I do have to say about this story is that I didn’t love how the story was left so open for two of the characters. I know that it was very realistic, but I wish we could have had just a little bit of closure.
I think this really educates on the history of eugenics and I highly recommend giving it a read!
I will end this review on this note; I do highly recommend this book but PLEASE be careful. There’s a very explicit scene of a late term miscarriage. It was very hard for me to read and I know it will be triggering to some. Be cautious!
meesvsbooks's review
5.0
First a bit of information: In the early twentieth century, institutions for so-called ‘Feeble-Minded’ people were being established all over the world. Disabled and marginalized people, who were deemed unworthy, were locked behind these doors for life. This story portrays the dark history of these kind of institutions. It’s heartbreaking and terrifying. The Massachusetts school in this book isn’t a made up school, it was founded in 1848, and did not close until 2014.
The Degenerates features four young girls in the early 1900s, who are sent to the Massachusetts school for the Feeble-Minded, simply because they don’t fit in. Having down syndrome, a club foot or being pregnant at fourteen; if society views you as different or less, you’re locked up. They are being bullied by their peers and treated as imbeciles by the teachers. Their fate is already destined, as they are institutionalized for life, but these girls won’t accept that.
This book was so good, but also extremely painful. Through alternating pov’s of the four girls, we get an insight at what life at the institution is like. Awful things happen there, and it is definitely not a happy story. However, the bond between these four girls is heartwarming.
Their personalities and backstories are unique, diverse and very well developed. They are such strong, powerful young women, who deserve so much more then what they get.
I highly recommend this book. It’s a difficult subject but a very important one. Read the trigger warnings before starting, as it can be heavy.
The Degenerates features four young girls in the early 1900s, who are sent to the Massachusetts school for the Feeble-Minded, simply because they don’t fit in. Having down syndrome, a club foot or being pregnant at fourteen; if society views you as different or less, you’re locked up. They are being bullied by their peers and treated as imbeciles by the teachers. Their fate is already destined, as they are institutionalized for life, but these girls won’t accept that.
This book was so good, but also extremely painful. Through alternating pov’s of the four girls, we get an insight at what life at the institution is like. Awful things happen there, and it is definitely not a happy story. However, the bond between these four girls is heartwarming.
Their personalities and backstories are unique, diverse and very well developed. They are such strong, powerful young women, who deserve so much more then what they get.
I highly recommend this book. It’s a difficult subject but a very important one. Read the trigger warnings before starting, as it can be heavy.
annagoldberg's review
DNF for now because this is not a great book to read during a pandemic. I’m also not really sure who this book is written for—if you know anything about the atrocious history of mental healthcare in the US, this is kinda gratuitous, and if you don’t know anything about it, this contains a whole lot of period accurate language that does nobody any good to hear. I don’t know if I’ll pick it back up because I’m not sure there’s much of a story here beyond demonstrating how awful the history of institutionalization or disabled people is/was.
neglet's review
5.0
Really compelling characters in a story that reveals a little-known aspect of our history (that we should really know better!). Had trouble putting this one down, and kept thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading it.
zbrarian's review
5.0
Told from four different POV. Amazing story of four survivors who were true survivors. Four young women institutionalized for being “different”, only because their families believed it to be. How they were labeled “imbeciles” when they were truly the smartest people. I didn’t expect to be so affected by this story, rooting for them to escape.