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phillippa123's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Abandonment
niamhct's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The high rating is cause I was so hooked the whole time, but I wish there’d been more depth. There are things I thought they’d come back to that we’d find out more about or that there’d be more under the surface but it didn’t, I think I was waiting for a more explosive ending? Still a great concept and kept me really engaged though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual assault
amp18's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was realistically terrifying and I think I'll be processing it for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
emilyyyhillsss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
“She never thought of herself as living in a city full of children, but maybe every city and every neighborhood is full of children when you’ve lost your own”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Grief
liabl_28's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
i think it does a pretty good job getting across the point, i did cry but sometimes i think it's repetitive and it gets weird around some descriptions.
the way it made me so furious that i had to stop reading, i really liked it
the way it made me so furious that i had to stop reading, i really liked it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Forced institutionalization
iamother's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
What saves this story is the concept and the potential that it could’ve had. What makes this such a disappointing read is both the main character of this story and how the intent of the story is unclear. Maybe that was the point. That there is no clear definition of what makes a good mother but you’re still striving toward it while being judged by criteria that vary from person to person. To me, this story seemed like an analogy to the prison system or of the administrative state in general. How things can start out with the best of intentions but can get lost when actually applied to real people. How the government can appear to be impersonal in its application because it has to deal with so many swathes of people while trying to maintain consistency. What hurt this story was how unlikable the main character is. How the author tries to compare mothers going through real hardships with motherhood that can be traced back to societal and financial pressures, with someone who disregarded their child’s safety. Comparing mothers that deserved punishment for the harm they’ve done to their children with something more innocuous that the main character has done. The punishment she received took me out of the story because it rivaled those of worse people. That is what makes defining a good mother in this world so hard because no one succeeds, therefore there is no clear definition of what it takes to be better as a mother (which I think would be required for a program such as this). The program even makes points that I think a lot of people would agree with in general. There are realizations that mothers come to as a result about why they were there in the first place. But at the same time the mothers get little in terms of reward from it. The way the government program is portrayed in it’s cruelty lends credence to the main character’s actions which are questionable at best. Makes me think that she learned nothing from her time away from her family (maybe tying back to the idea that prisons are meant to reform but inevitably create a revolving door of damaged individuals). What aggravated me most about the main character is that being a parent is about sacrifice. If it meant having her daughter back, then she needs to let certain things go or at least temper them. She constantly made the point that her upbringing was not the cause of why she was there, meanwhile others struggled with traumas that hindered their development. If that is the case, then all her problems are self inflicted, something she makes clear in the final scenes of the book but still can’t help herself to choose her own selfish desires over the needs of her child. It wasn’t right what was done to her, but sooner or later it stops becoming someone else’s fault for your struggles. It’s up to you to overcome them and make the best of what you have left. She never learned that, even after watching others crumble under the pressure. This book missed the chance to speak to marginalized mothers lost in the system beyond small anecdotes here and there. That being a mother is not an exact science but we all understand what a good one is when we see it. Society often judges us harder than we do ourselves. But are we willing to agree to that agreed upon definition or define what it is ourselves. That’s really how the transition from a good mother to a “bad” one happens. And I don’t think the author’s portrayal of the main character made her someone easy to empathize with. Maybe the whole point was creating a conversation. The author definitely succeeded at that
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
mele92's review against another edition
emotional
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, and Alcohol
theemptybox's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Emotionally wrecked from this book. As a mixed Asian-American, a lot of these lines hit HARD and a lot of the scenarios were very familiar. As someone with little to no maternal instincts, a lot of this book was teeth grinding and wanting to yell at the background characters.
There is no wrong or right way to raise a child but there are some universal ways that should be included for every child. This book is thought provoking in ways I never would have guessed. Along with the question of what makes a good mother, this book challenges racial, sexual, and gender questions. It's a psychological horror and I loved it.
I loved how quickly it moves while also layering back sometimes to provide context. I was on the edge of my seat for a good chunk of it.
There is no wrong or right way to raise a child but there are some universal ways that should be included for every child. This book is thought provoking in ways I never would have guessed. Along with the question of what makes a good mother, this book challenges racial, sexual, and gender questions. It's a psychological horror and I loved it.
I loved how quickly it moves while also layering back sometimes to provide context. I was on the edge of my seat for a good chunk of it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
cartermon4's review
dark
emotional
sad
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 was so frustrated throughout the book, but it definitely hints at real world inequalities and insane expectations for mothers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Car accident
stacy_27_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Save my girl Frida from these white men. This book made me feel so many emotions. I was going through it. Justice for my girl Frida, Emmanuelle, and Harriet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Lesbophobia