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A review by leakaroo
Chouette by Claire Oshetsky
4.25
This book exceeded my expectations honestly! I knew I would love the story to some extent, but what really surprises me is how much I adore Claire Oshetsky's writing style. It's very fun (the use of 'yabber-yabber' and 'scrabble-scrabble' is so fun throughout the book without being too much), as well as rhythmic which aligns with Tiny's character and how she's a cellist and often soundtracks her life with music.
The book delved into the topic of motherhood and the difficulties of mothering a "not normal" child much deeper than i was expecting. Here's some things that stood out to me:
- Tiny loses her hobbies and much of her previous life joys once she is pregnant. This is mainly discussed at the beginning, but I loved the way Oshetsky brings it back near the end, with the husband questioning why Tiny has become so 'boring' and "given up" her hobbies. It shows in a realistic way how people don't realise that motherhood takes a lot of sacrifices.
- I also love the father's absurd rationale for his actions. The way he defends that he is "trying to help" Chouette, and manipulating Tiny to think she is the one harming the family was executed is a realistic way! I could see how the husband's deceptive words would actually work on someone in real life.
With the idea of Tiny's owl-lover, I interpreted it as possibly Tiny's own neurodivergence that she has tried to embrace on-and-off throughout her life. After escaping her dad and meeting with owl-lover, it seems to imply she was on a journey to accepting her neurodivergence OR her feelings towards her trauma.
Anyway, I'm just extremely impressed with this book and the many metaphors it manages to balance in this lovely little book.
The book delved into the topic of motherhood and the difficulties of mothering a "not normal" child much deeper than i was expecting. Here's some things that stood out to me:
- Tiny loses her hobbies and much of her previous life joys once she is pregnant. This is mainly discussed at the beginning, but I loved the way Oshetsky brings it back near the end, with the husband questioning why Tiny has become so 'boring' and "given up" her hobbies. It shows in a realistic way how people don't realise that motherhood takes a lot of sacrifices.
- I also love the father's absurd rationale for his actions. The way he defends that he is "trying to help" Chouette, and manipulating Tiny to think she is the one harming the family was executed is a realistic way! I could see how the husband's deceptive words would actually work on someone in real life.
With the idea of Tiny's owl-lover, I interpreted it as possibly Tiny's own neurodivergence that she has tried to embrace on-and-off throughout her life. After escaping her dad and meeting with owl-lover, it seems to imply she was on a journey to accepting her neurodivergence OR her feelings towards her trauma.
Anyway, I'm just extremely impressed with this book and the many metaphors it manages to balance in this lovely little book.