Reviews with content warning for Abortion - Chouette

Not at all what I expected. The synopsis makes it seem like a charming motherhood story with elements of magical realism. I was hooked by the gorgeous prose, but stayed to unravel the disturbingly sad allegory at the core of the story. Tiny is a reluctant mother desperate for support while trying to get others to accept and love her disabled child, Chouette & the world around her will not stop trying to change, fix, cure, or kill Chouette. The only downside to this story is that it becomes what it is trying to criticize when its focus is on Tiny and not Chouette. Tiny eventually becomes a fierce advocate for Choutte, but since Chouette has no voice it is hard to say if, in the end, Tiny was the mother she needed. Poor Chouette. The author chooses to use magical realism to make Chouette's disability animalistic and savage. I can see this book being very triggering for anyone who is disabled and has been made to feel like they are a monster by society. I'll be thinking about the author's intention when writing this for a long time after putting it down.

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rory1387's review against another edition

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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.

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tualha's review against another edition

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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.

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