This is a compilation of snippets of women’s lives as mothers, wives, daughters, and abuse and or anger.
I’m not a huge fan of novels starting out when the character is a child since I’m assuming it’ll cover a broad spectrum of time/go slowly.
I’m also not thrilled that physical abuse was brought up in page one, yes as a negative, but I’m tired of women always being abused in books. Yes, it may demonstrate reality, but can we as a society create a new norm by writing women in a different way?
The points of view fluctuate between Alex (still age 6ish) and a doctor who is writing research articles on findings of the Mass Dragoning of 1955.
After chapter 6 it’s overly obvious that it’s a highly feminist premise, which I love. Why angers me is that there are so many plots these days about abused women. I’m assuming this one will lead to the same pattern, that the mass dragoning were all women as mothers or wives of feeling abused and had enough. Maybe I’m wrong.
I like that the author parallels it with feminine “taboo” subjects including menstruation, cancer, and miscarriages. I’d want to add post partum depression to that list.
Well at page 84 it feels repetitive and as thought nothing has happened. Each chapter reiterates the same thing- don’t talk about dragons. Beatrice is actually your cousin, not your sister, your mom is very against speaking of your aunt that turned into a dragon… yes, we get it, now please move on.
At page 100, it still doesn’t feel like anything has happened. I didn’t make it halfway I skimmed the rest to figure out the overall plot points and nothing was exciting or interesting. I’m a bit disappointed