Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Chouette by Claire Oshetsky

25 reviews

niaaaaa's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical trauma, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Excrement, Vomit, Dementia, Abortion, and Pregnancy

growplantsreadbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark sad

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Infidelity, Blood, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Abortion

This book is an allegory for having a disabled child that could be extremely triggering for people with disabilities.

leonineliterature's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I loved it! It just needs to settle within me before I can collect my thoughts and write a more thorough review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Dementia, and Medical trauma

queenbeemimi's review against another edition

challenging

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.5

A very strange little book. I don’t know quite what to make of the metaphor, which is trying to achieve a lot of  complex things but can veer off into ableism at times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Gore, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

bibliophilecrocodile's review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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? Yes

4.25

Wow, I don't know what the f I just read but that it's unexpected and grotesquely beautiful. The way motherhood was described here is just very different and phenomenal. Totally recommend reading. Great start to a new year for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Vomit