review : When women were dragons by Kelly Barnhill

author – Kelly Barnhill
rating – 3.5 stars
genre – fantasy, historical fiction, magical realism, feminist
trigger warning – sexism, misogyny mention of parental death, cancer, homophobia

A rollicking feminist tale set in 1950s America where thousands of women have spontaneously transformed into dragons, exploding notions of a woman’s place in the world and expanding minds about accepting others for who they really are.

synopsis

Alex Green is a young girl in a world much like ours, except for its most seminal event: the Mass Dragoning of 1955, when hundreds of thousands of ordinary wives and mothers sprouted wings, scales, and talons; left a trail of fiery destruction in their path; and took to the skies. Was it their choice? What will become of those left behind? Why did Alex’s beloved aunt Marla transform but her mother did not? Alex doesn’t know. It’s taboo to speak of.

Forced into silence, Alex nevertheless must face the consequences of this astonishing event: a mother more protective than ever; an absentee father; the upsetting insistence that her aunt never even existed; and watching her beloved cousin Bea become dangerously obsessed with the forbidden.

In this timely and timeless speculative novel, award-winning author Kelly Barnhill boldly explores rage, memory, and the tyranny of forced limitations. When Women Were Dragons exposes a world that wants to keep women small—their lives and their prospects—and examines what happens when they rise en masse and take up the space they deserve.

review

I don’t know where to start, this was a very overwhelming read, this is yes a fanatsy book, there are women truning into dragons, buring houses and families who have tourtued them but at the core it’s about women who suffer, for emotion sometimes physical abuse from their families, society and spouses.

The book as a whole was so powerful and honest with how the society acts regarding issues relating to women. Dragoning, the phenomenon of women turning into dragon, i feel like it was such a strong premise, with the strong metaphors and euphamism, however it felt too long at times, too dragged and didn’t end anywhere.

Alex was a strong main character, you feel love, sorrow, pity and pride for her as the story develops, she is the backbone of the story but i don’t really agree to her ending, it felt incomplete.

If you want a strong book with bold femela characters and a feminist backdrop you should definietly pick it up.

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