kayseearr's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
bethwrites's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I was interested in the premise of this book but was a bit frustrated when I read it. The pacing of the book was strange - there was a big build up to the mystery but once that was revealed it just kind of meandered to the end. I felt like the world wasn't explored in as much depth as it could have been, especially for how complex the married-by-30 system must be to implement. I also felt like the author had a tendency to list experiences/events rather than let us live through them which I found frustrating. That being said, the themes of systemic oppression and love that the author was exploring were really interesting, and I appreciated her perspective on those topics - I just wished she had shown the themes rather than stating them explicitly a lot of the time.
heddahboots's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
iina's review against another edition
2.0
This novel had a lot to pull me in: a world in which witches are real, bisexual protagonist, feminism… so it is a real shame that after about halfway, it really fell flat for me.
I enjoyed the mystery of what happened to the main character Josephine’s mother, but after that is revealed the plot seemed to stall and become quite predictable. As this happened, the intrigue present in the prose earlier in the novel also evaporated, making way for fairly standard yet a little boring contemporary fiction style. I can see this was trying to be a sort of “Handmaid’s Tale + witches” type of book, but the letdown of the plot and the too heavily underlined social points (show, don’t tell!) made it a bit of a disappointment for me.
Thank you to MacMillan for sending me an advance review copy of this book.
I enjoyed the mystery of what happened to the main character Josephine’s mother, but after that is revealed the plot seemed to stall and become quite predictable. As this happened, the intrigue present in the prose earlier in the novel also evaporated, making way for fairly standard yet a little boring contemporary fiction style. I can see this was trying to be a sort of “Handmaid’s Tale + witches” type of book, but the letdown of the plot and the too heavily underlined social points (show, don’t tell!) made it a bit of a disappointment for me.
Thank you to MacMillan for sending me an advance review copy of this book.
livefromdw's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
meganelizabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
lydiaphillip's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
energyrae's review against another edition
3.0
In a different world, perhaps running parallel to our own, witchcraft is not only real, but it’s taboo. Witch accusations and burnings are ordinary. Even more so, unmarried women are also taboo. Years after her mother’s disappearance, Jo still misses her more than ever. As she approaches 28, she needs to think about getting married, lest she needs to register as a witch.
The Women Could Fly ties many real-world issues into the storyline. I’ve always said that you don’t have to like a character to enjoy a book but getting to know Jo was difficult. Her mother was an awful person, but I understand Jo’s yearning for her. Jo’s life was a daily repetition that didn’t work for me, making the book skim-worthy in places. While this book isn’t wholly for me, I feel it will be relevant for many.
The Women Could Fly ties many real-world issues into the storyline. I’ve always said that you don’t have to like a character to enjoy a book but getting to know Jo was difficult. Her mother was an awful person, but I understand Jo’s yearning for her. Jo’s life was a daily repetition that didn’t work for me, making the book skim-worthy in places. While this book isn’t wholly for me, I feel it will be relevant for many.