When Women Were Dragons: A Novel

I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of this book. As someone who has a deep appreciation for dragons, the author's portrayal of dragons in a feminist context further solidified my love for these mythical creatures. Not only were the concepts and themes of the book relevant and accurate, but the literary expression and writing of these experiences was absolutely stunning. This book evoked a wide range of emotions for me, from dismay to rage to apprehension to frustration to absolute joy and transcendence. It was a beautiful and highly significant read.

I liked this book. It was a girl-powered feminist read, and it was a fun fantasy-perspective on channeling female rage into female joy. When the women dragon, they are following their true selves, without even the sky to limit them! The dragoning was also an obvious allegory to the acceptance of women regardless of assigned gender or sexual preference. The sub plot around Beatrice especially makes this point. I loved the role libraries/the librarian played. Mrs. Gyzinka was a minor character, but she was an interesting one. I would read a prequel to this book based on her story!!

If you loved Lessons in Chemistry, you’ll love this.

What I liked: A historical fiction coming of age story with fantastical elements. Frustrated feminists spontaneously become dragons as commentary on the need to accept people for who they are. What I disliked: Alexa’s mother’s obsession with tying elaborate knots was never explained. Did she think it could prevent dragoning? The author never circled back to explain.

Just wow. Wow, wow, wow. I went into this book not fully grasping what I was getting into and I’m glad for it. This book felt mired in reality as though something like this *could* happen while also feeling like a fairy tale you learn as a young child but never fully understood the gravity of until you were older. Yes, there were some preposterous bits but that didn’t pull me out. In fact, this was nothing like I’ve ever read. I found myself in tears at certain aspects, mad as hell in others and rejoicing with our characters. This had quickly become a new favorite book in my eyes. Instant 5 stars.