THIS. BOOK. I knew going in that The Degenerates was going to hurt. Four girls stuck in a “school” in the early 1900s where they’re labeled based on the ways they don’t fit society’s standard of what’s “normal.” My heart! I know enough about asylums during this time period to know things were not going to be any better in this situation.

(The book is compared to Girl, Interrupted, but I also saw bits of The Bell Jar in it too.)

But as bad as things get (and we’ll get to that in a minute), the bond between the girls is what makes everything else bearable. They are hurt, humiliated, abused, neglected, and yelled at, but if they can just get to a certain point in the day when they’re alone or when they can see their friends, they can make it another day.

Let’s start with the characters because that’s really the only way I can describe how great this book is.

London. London is my girl. London is the girl I related to most. She is sent to The Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded because she’s pregnant. Yep, you read that right. She’s 14 and pregnant so she is sent away.

London is an Italian orphan, brought to the US for a better life with her parents who end up dying. Now, after being dragged out of her last foster home, she is taken to the school. But don’t worry, she has no intention of staying. London is a fighter. She fights the cops, she fights the attendants, and she has no problem fighting the bullies at the school. I wouldn’t normally call a 14-year-old a badass bitch, but that’s London.

That doesn’t mean London doesn’t have a softer side, though. She forms a very strong relationship with another student named Rose and eventually, shows she is a true nurturer. I loved every minute of London’s story.

Maxine. Maxine was sent to the school (along with her sister, Rose), by her mother. Why? I won’t give away the particulars, but Maxine was sent away because she likes girls. This does not stop her from liking girls (shocker, I know!)

Maxine is a protector, especially for Rose. She refuses to let anything happen to her even if it means she gets in trouble and is sent to what the girls call “the cages.”

Maxine is a bit of a dreamer as well. She likes to dream of what life would be like outside the school and how her, Rose, and her friends will live happily one day. I love this about her.

Maxine is also in love with Alice, another girl at the school. They have their own language together. Staring at each other without the staff or bullies seeing them, skin touching for only a second, and subtly taking care of each other and Rose. Maxine and Alice show that even in the darkest of places love can still exist. (excuse me while I sob)

Alice. Alice was brought to the school by her brother. We never really learn his reason. Perhaps it was to have one less mouth to feed? Or maybe he didn’t want to deal with her clubfoot?

At the school, Alice is one of only two black girls, keeps herself to herself, and is very much in love with Maxine. She’s also able to read people without them saying a word. She knows when Rose is scheming, she knows when Maxine is depressed or happy (or scheming), and she sees the fight in London way before anyone else.

Rose. My sweet, sweet Rose. It’s unclear whether Rose was sent to the school because of Maxine or whether she would’ve been sent anyway due to her Down syndrome. Rose is smarter than any of the adults (and probably most of the girls) know. She loves to steal. Food, clothes, money…anything. It’s fun. People underestimate her and she uses that to her advantage.

When London arrives, Rose could not be more excited. Someone new! When London attempts to escape the first night she’s there, that makes Rose like her even more. It becomes Rose’s mission to help London escape by any means she can. The whole time I was borderline anxious that something might happen to Rose. She is a devious cinnamon roll and I did not want her hurt.

Together, the girls do everything they can to take care of each other and try to make it through each day without being noticed by the staff.

The Degenerates is rough. I won’t lie to y’all. It’s difficult to see these girls society deemed unworthy go through so many awful things. But it’s their relationships, the light moments they grasped when no one’s looking that makes those hard moments worth getting through.

The book is also split between the four girls’ POVs and I absolutely loved it. I loved reading each character’s perspective and learning what they were thinking vs. what the other characters thought they were thinking. It’s what makes multiple POVs one of my favorite book things/writing devices ever.

Ok, trigger warning time! There’s a semi-descriptive miscarriage scene, lots of ableist insults (as I’m sure you can imagine), death of a baby (besides the miscarriage), and a pretty big fire (I know that’s a trigger for some).

The Dengerates is incredibly well-written. If you’ve ever tried to write a multiple POV story, you know how hard it is. It feels effortless here. And do not even get me started on the character development. It’s so well done I could cry. It’s done in such a subtle way over the course of the book that you (or maybe it’s just me) don’t realize it’s happening until you look back and are like OMG! THE GROWTH!

I’m giving The Dengerates by J. Albert Mann 4 out of 5 stars.

It comes out on March 17, 2020.

Thank you to Atheneum Books for Young Readers for the eARC and the physical ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great book! It did remind me of Girl Interrupted and it was a great insight into part of history that I don't know much about. I think there will definitely be an audience for it at our library.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher! Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Degenerates

Author: J. Albert Mann

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Diversity: Slight LGBTQA+ relationship (makeout scene) and based on the covers one of the girls is black and the other might be Asian, but it wasn’t well described in the book.

Publication Date: March 17, 2020

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Recommended Age: 16+ (TW torture, violence, gore, some language, and

Pages: March 17, 2020

Amazon Link

Synopsis: In the tradition of Girl, Interrupted, this fiery historical novel follows four young women in the early 20th century whose lives intersect when they are locked up by a world that took the poor, the disabled, the marginalized—and institutionalized them for life.

The Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded is not a happy place. The young women who are already there certainly don’t think so. Not Maxine, who is doing everything she can to protect her younger sister Rose in an institution where vicious attendants and bullying older girls treat them as the morons, imbeciles, and idiots the doctors have deemed them to be. Not Alice, either, who was left there when her brother couldn’t bring himself to support a sister with a club foot. And not London, who has just been dragged there from the best foster situation she’s ever had, thanks to one unexpected, life altering moment. Each girl is determined to change her fate, no matter what it takes.

Review: I thought this book was well done. The world building was amazing and I like that the author kept to the historical points in the book. I felt the author did well to subtly describe the horror that people faced in the early 20th century. The book didn’t shy away from showing a light on some of the darkest moments of our history in America. The book was also very well even paced.

However, I didn’t like how the book was told. The book kinda bounced between events and timelines a bit recklessly and that made it hard to follow. The book also didn’t develop these characters very well and I had a hard time caring for them as a reader. I feel like the book could have been told from one POV and worked much better than with three. I also didn’t like that the girls just accepted their given labels. It fits with the time, but I think it would have been more impactful if they outright rejected it in them.

Verdict: A great read, especially for those who like history!

Loved the story and the ode to a dark period of medical history. It definitely had Girl Interrupted vibes in the best ways. Both hard to read and unputdownable.

This is a heavy read. It is not a light and fluffy book. It talks about serious things ranging from racism to homophobia to miscarriages. The setting of this book is at the height of the eugenics movement. A dark period in our history. A time when anyone considered different or undesirable were sent to institutions to live out there life. There are great moments in this book, but I do think it should be cautioned in regards to young readers. The darkness of these characters lives are not shied away from, teaching the reader about the time period. While heart-warming and heart-wrenching at times, the book is powerful in its poignant discussion of how these girls lives were.

The Massachusetts School is for moron and imbecile. Once you enter the school there is no escape as there is no cure for feeble minded people.

Maxine who despite knowing the reality dreams of having a beach house, being a singer and an escape from this institution along with Rose. Rose whom everyone thinks knows nothing, but she knows more than she lets on. Alice who is accustomed to institution routine and lifestyle says nothing and shows no emotion because showing emotions means letting your weaknesses known to another.

Maxine, Rose and Alice are not happy but they have accepted their faith and living their life with as much normalcy as possible. But everything turns upside down with the entry of London. She is determine to escape this place as soon as possible. But what will her freedom cost?

Review-

First and foremost if you are a sensitive reader you have to be careful of some explicit and some dark emotional scenes. Being a sensitive reader myself it affected me quite hard.

This book is gut wrenchingly emotional. The institution, their routine, the situations of the girls, their enmity, their hope, their dreams and their reality will shook you from your core.

The writing is impeccable. It hooks you from the first page itself and the ending just live you in tears. Characters are way different from each other but still they fit perfectly well with each other.

Author has not shy away from writing some hard hitting emotional scenes. She is unapologetic and raw and real. Among all the unpleasant scenario an unbreakable bond of sister and a pure love is like fresh air while drowning. It helps you survive from all the other heavy situations in the book.

The plot is meticulously woven and shown how each character survives in their own way. But some parts were quite not believable. Like the changing of the shifts and obtaining certain things.

The ending was definitely not what I was expecting. Though I felt it was quite rushed but it was shocking and part satisfying. Why only part satisfying? For that you have to read the book.

This was fantastic, spit-fire, tough and tumble, rough and rumble.  When four teenagers meet at the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded, they find commonalities in the fact that they don't so much need taking care of or help, but that they simply do not fit in.  Their families don't visit them, they try to run away, they slog through repetitive classes and lessons designed by teachers who couldn't care less.  But once they realize that they're in it together, they begin to make plans to leave.  For good.

Occasionally switching between perspectives, we get a deep and enriching perspective of historical Boston and the horrors that late 1800s/early 1900s America provided to those with different abilities.  We see the Fairmont Copley Plaza (RIP Carly Copley) and East Boston, not to mention references to Springfield and other nearby towns.  

I just loved seeing these girls grow into fiercer, more obstinate versions of themselves.  Before (with the exception of London) where they might have sat back and taken what came at them, they now ready themselves for any challenge, unafraid to band together to make sure nobody is hurt by the aids, nurses, or School bullies.

I'd also be leaving out a big chunk of my review if I didn't mention just how impressively diverse this book is.  We have London, an Italian-American pregnant girl; Alice, a black club-footed girl; Maxine, a lesbian; and Rose, a youth with developmental disabilities.  Together, they pack a punch and are the epitome of ride or die.  I'm so excited for this book when it comes out, I've already requested it for my library system and I just cannot stop talking about it.  Read this book, recommend it to your local librarian, shove it into the hands of your best friend.  It's.  So.  Good.

This book was devastating. Exploring the history of eugenics, discrimination, and the treatment of the mentally ill in the 1920s, we meet four young ladies who would be absolutely thriving and successful in today's world but at the time were considered moral degenerates. We explore the lives of Alice and Maxine, two lesbians at a time when that was considered a mental illness (which, btw, it was until 1973); Rose, Maxine's sister with Down syndrome; and London, an unmarried pregnant teenager. Along the way, we meet several other lovely young women, imprisoned for life because they had the audacity to be born different. The research that went into exploring this REAL PLACE (I can't emphasize enough that this is not a fictional facility) is simply astounding, the depth of the characters is compelling and draws you into their struggles, and the storyline is fast-paced and like a rollercoaster. I am in awe of this book. My only quibble is that I wish Alice had been explored more--her story felt very surface compared to the other three.

If you don't know me let me tell you 2 things about me. 1. I only read children's books. 2. I usually read books quickly. There is no reason behind that except I usually get so caught up in what I'm reading I won't put it down. This book caused me to contradict both of those statements. I saw the cover of this book and went to request it immediately (requesting on netgalley). Then I saw it said YA. I paused for half second but requested it anyway. YA is a stretch for me. What made me break my rule? This cover. This cover stopped me in my tracks and still does everytime I see it. Now for my second contradiction this story took me a week to read. Why you be asking? It ripped my heart out and made me cry then put it back together piece by piece and left a space for anyone that has been treated this way. In the first chapter an elderly lady is being beat up by the police and a young girl is being called a sl*t. It is heavy but the kind of heavy you have to go through. Now for the plot. This is the story of 4 young women who live in a school for the feeble minded. However, the more you read you realize these girls are not feeble minded they are physically disabled, mentally disabled, lesbians, promiscuous, anxious, person of color, or just pain unwanted. High school children and older will have their eyes opened to a part of history they may not know about.
Trigger warning: If you have had a miscarriage or lost a baby at a young age this book could be a trigger for you.

The Degenerates was a very heartbreaking and disturbing historical fiction. It was disturbing mainly because of what the young girls were subjected to by doctors and staff at the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded. This story was based on facts and intensive research. Years ago, children were placed in these institutions for life, simply because they were classified as imbeciles, morons, idiots, undesirables, or degenerates. The story centered on the lives of four teenage girls. Each had their own sad story that brought them to this institution and how they coped with their day to day existence in their forever home.

This was a very well written, intense, and emotional story. Even though it was heartbreaking at times, love was also present and persevered despite the odds against it.
Highly recommended!
ARC was given for an honest review.

The Degenerates is an absolutely beautiful novel. One of the reasons for its beauty is how the characters are developed. I enjoyed reading about how each character came to be in the asylum. The author doesn’t give all the information right away, though. You get tidbits throughout the novel which kept me guessing and wanting more.

While initially reading, I felt like the book was somewhat slow, but now that I have finished the novel, I realize that that writing style perfectly fits the novel. This novel so accurately portrays how life just trudged on and was the same day after day for these people who didn’t fit into society’s standards of what normal was.

I was so impressed with the amount of research Mann put into this novel. The novel is based on real people, a real setting, and real events that happened in this asylum. The author includes historical notes and citations from where she pulled this information. She goes into detail about how people who weren’t white and straight were deemed unfit in society, and therefore would be put into these types of asylums. She also discusses how it was legal for some of these asylums to sterilize these patients against their will because they didn’t want certain types of people to reproduce. This novel really made me look inward and analyze how I view people who may be different than I am. I learned so much history through reading this novel.

I feel like I have been flying through books lately. My Goodreads currently-reading shelf is full like always but this time many of them are set as like almost completed (that's the system I have for when they are done, I set them at just a few pages short of complete until I write the review). There may be a better system but I currently like mine. One of the books I finished recently that is still waiting for me to review is the Degenerates. This book does not come out for a bit but I was super lucky and received an E-ARC of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


SPOILERS AHEAD


Maxine, Rose, Alice, and London are all living in the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded. Here they are on a strict routine, live a life with no choice, and are all unhappy. These young girls have all come to this school by different paths however, they are now all kind of friends and trying to help one another. Each of these four girls is determined to achieve their goals in life and change what others have determined is to be there fate. But they will need each other's help to do so.


Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was powerful and unexpected for me. I knew a little about it going in but I had no idea how the story would go and how invested I would become in these characters and their journey. I honestly did not know much in regard to this topic in history and I felt like the author did an excellent job of making it come alive. After finishing the book I found myself sharing what I had learned with others, reading more about the topic, and wishing I could have had more time with the four main characters. I am giving this book four and a half stars on Goodreads.


**I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book could make a case for blindly picking completely random titles on Netgalley. Because that's what I did and man am I impressed with this book.

Some of the language seems a tad out of place - "sucks" sounds more modern, for example - and a few metaphors are a little clunky. Other than that, the writing is quite lovely. Simple, yet evocative. The topics tackled lends themselves to strong emotional reactions, but Mann deftly plays with those emotions and makes the story visceral. And the characters are, by far, the strongest part of the novel. So beautifully layered, flawed, and distinct. London was my favorite, followed by Rose, and my heart was constantly breaking for Maxine. And the love between Alice and Maxine? It's so innocent but powerful. All the bonds shared between these four girls well done.

The ending seemed a little rushed and stilted. Everything wrapped so quickly that... something felt missing. It was all just a little to easy.

Parts of this story left me absolutley gutted - and I don't consider myself sensitive in general. I had to put it down several times out of frustration, sadness, or anger. Not at the author but at the reflection of a past reality. It is only a book but real people had these experiences. Some still do. That makes everything on these pages all the more heartbreaking.

Four stars

When historical fiction is done well, it transports readers into the personal experiences of individuals who live in a time that seems present - rather than long ago - and into a set of circumstances that seems, by modern day standards, nearly unimaginable. That's exactly what happens in this work.

Mann's narrative highlights the experiences of several girls and young women who are sent to a "school," which is really an institution devised for segregating them from society for a number of horrific reasons including but not limited to their physical differences, statuses as pregnant and unmarried, and their sexual orientations. By developing round characters, who are extremely endearing, as well as insights into how they came to live in this state sanctioned imprisonment, Mann sheds light on one of many horrors this country inflicted on people whose identities did not give them the privilege necessary to hold basic human rights and opportunities. I'd say it seems like a faraway concept, but with the caging of humans and overt forms of bigotry and hatred we see today, these circumstances seem less shocking than they would have if I had read this novel even four years ago. Please vote.

These characters are riveting, and I love how painfully realistic this work is. I especially appreciate the author's note, in which they reflect their own identities as well as insight into the authenticity of the doctors' and nurses' language and perspectives. That is some next level business.

This is NOT an uplifter, but it is a novel I'll certainly (1) recommend to students and (2) remember for a long time based on what I learned from it and from the endearing characters it houses. London is everything, and Rose runs a great game of fun and brilliance of her own.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

TW: miscarriage, ableism, homophobia, racism, bullying, beating, forced institutionalization

The Degenerates is a strong and important historical novel, set during the early 20th century. It was important, for me, to understand the setting, by reading the Historical and author's note. It was really interesting (and sad) realize how much of this story is inspired by real facts, how the doctor uses diagnosis like "moron", "imbecile" and so on, testing, measuring and imprisoning people that weren't up to the social standards.
The movement of the eugenetics led to a social system that put people usually marginalized in society, the poor, the disabled, the people of color, indigenous people, member of the LGBTQIA+, into institution, like the Massachussetts School for Feeble-minded. Basically removing the "unwanted" and istituzionalized them for life. It's in this setting that the story starts.
Told by multiple POVs, Maxime, her sister Rose, Alice and London, the reader gets to see the awful reality where people like them were forced to live. Each girls, the main characters and the side one, are complex and interesting and it pained my heart reading about the bullying, the cruelty, the indifference. In a society where the different was isolated and kept apart, the main characters try everything to be free themselves, to survive, to be free. Each girl wants to live and be free.
Alice and Maxine, Rose and London are fierce characters, strong and different from what the society believe them to be. Sweet Rose, hopeful Maxine, realistic Alice, angry London. Each one of them complex, with an hard past behind and not ready, at all, to give up.
It's impossible not to love or cheer for them, hoping they will manage to escape, to be free. It was sweet and cute reading about how Maxine and Alice love each other, struggling to hide their feelings, following the place's rules, how fiercely protective Maxime is of her younger sister Rose and viceversa, how strong, stubborn and loving London is. I really enjoyed reading about Thelma Dumas and her fierceness and insults, and how first London, then the others find shelter.
Interesting the choice of The count of Montecristo, as the book London read and cherished, reading it over and over again to Rose.
It's a hard book to read, because you can't not feel for those girls, hurt, marginalized and lied to in a world where being different (homosexual, down, ill, black, indigenous and so on) meant being wrong.
Hearbreaking, above all because things like that happened and still happens, and at the same time hopeful and beautifully written, with unforgettable characters.

Trigger warnings galore but The Degenerates is well-worth your time. You can tell that great care was taken in the research for this book and even more care was taken in the development of the characters. This unique look at friendship is one you don't want to miss.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A horrifying and heartbreaking exploration of what life was like for the girls locked up in institutions in the twentieth century in an unforgettable story of friendship, found-family, and survival against all odds.

Four girls' lives intertwine at an institution for the "feebleminded," where each of them has been received a life sentence with no hope of escape. Sisters Maxine and Rose--sent away because of Maxine's sexuality and Rose's Down Syndrome--their friend Alice, and new girl London struggle to survive in a system that considers them less-than. Deemed "idiots" and "morons" through unfair tests, the girls are forced to live and work in this "school" which is really a prison. Mann's careful research into the lives and experiences and "diagnoses" of girls like Maxine, Rose, Alice, and London, show through in every page. And upsetting as it is to know that places like this really existed, robbing people of their lives and freedom, it's also important to remember and understand that history. Very hard to read at times, but I thoroughly enjoyed the well-researched nature as well as the characters and their relationships with each other.

That said, some important trigger warnings to note: abelism and abelist language, outdated / offensive "medical" terminology (in particular an offensive / racist term once used for people with Down Syndrome), miscarriage, institutionalization, homophobia, sexism, etc. That author does explain the choice to use some of the terminology etc. in a lengthy author's note, which is well worth the read.