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violetturtledove's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
I mistakenly thought from the description of this story as a 'fairytale' it might be a bit too cute and saccharine. It is not. The best fairytales are actually a mix of magic and horror, and so is this book. And although I have no personal experience I believe the same could be said for motherhood!
You've got to suspend your disbelief for this one and not ask too many questions. Is the narrator reliable? How much of this is literal and how much is metaphor? Is this our world seen through a different lens, or do different rules apply here? How do we reconcile Tiny's experiences with the reactions of those around her (are they overreacting at something slightly out of the ordinary, or being shockingly calm in the face of a medical marvel?). The morals of the story, and the balance of magic and horror, changes quite a bit depending on how literally you take it.
Does the owl-baby represent a trans child, a disabled child, an autistic child? All of these fit in some ways but not others. Some of the details of the book may recall some of these experiences, but it's not a straightforward allegory of anything more specific than 'letting your child be themself'. Or maybe just 'this is what being a parent is like'. In the words of the author 'the child in the novel is an owl'.
It's sweet but also very unsettling, and I felt frustrated on Tiny's behalf as her opinions are constantly ignored, her feelings dismissed and her actions misinterpreted. And fair warning (hopefully not too much of a spoiler in a book about an apex predator), there's a lot of animal death. But if you can handle these aspects it's well worth reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
alyssapusateri's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Violence, Excrement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Abortion
Minor: Cursing, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting
i'm not really sure how to tag this considering there is such a mix of metaphors or what i thought were metaphors... i don't even know
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