The School for Good Mothers

danielle_henry_6987 shared a tip "I don’t normally read dystopian novels but this was very interesting. A mother has a very bad week and leaves her young child home alone and gets reported to CPS which results in her child getting taken away and her being forced to go to a school to learn to be a good mother, complete with robot children to help them become better mothers. Hard to read and it definitely felt like a horror movie, as I am a mother and we have all had bad days and it felt scary to imagine being judged for every minor infraction."

krystyn_nicole shared a tip "⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Oooh I loved the way this one started. As a mom myself, this hit a lot of nerves. Punishing moms for things sometimes outside of their control, the way the fathers are not being watched under the same microscope, painful feelings of jealousy towards stepparents. It really hit them all in a unique way. I found a couple of the chapters particularly the ones surrounding the cleaning of the dolls to be really disturbing and I didn’t necessarily understand the point of it being on the story. Trigger warning, some suicide scenes and suicidal ideation. This book upset me deeply and will stay with me for a long time. I really enjoyed it."

paula_pranda shared a tip "Highlights the perfection that women/mothers already put on themselves and exaggerates it into your worst fears. A story of how forcing the extreme of perfection actually means you need much more self compassion - but make it dystopian (or let's hope it stays dystopian)"

jenn_ammerman shared a tip "I loved everything about this book. Most books I just read, some books make me cry, but that I could scream and say WHY at everything in this story is really impressive."

john_fenlon shared a tip "This is classed as dystopian by some, but so much of what happens in this book is not that far removed from reality. A major eye opener to reflect on our judgmental attitude as a society towards mothers, including the double standards compared to fathers, and the extra scrutiny towards mothers of color or other minority status."

viviane_morgan shared a tip "Completely unrealistic, started off pretty good and went down hill fast. I was looking forward to reading this book, really disappointed."

beckjhnsn shared a tip "6/10. Started off strong but the plot was drawn out and underwhelming. Touches on relevant topics such as diversity and gender equality. Overall a good read :)"

la_viola_ward shared a tip "I gave this a thumbs up bc I doubt I will ever forget it, but ultimately I was disappointed. It is captivating and it definitely pulls you in but I think it focuses on minutiae and drags on the plot so much that near the end I was just desperate for some closure… And never really got it. Pros: all moms can relate to some parts. Cons: unrealistic and it gets frustrating to the point that I almost quit reading several times. The family court system is messed up but this is an anticlimactic reach."

jayj shared a tip "This book was addictive. I sympathised with the main character, felt her anger, anxiety, and her struggle with her mental health issues and drive for her daughter. The book was one where I could not easily guess the conclusion and left me crush with the outcome of the main character."