An explosive book filled with anger and hope, When Women Were Dragons feels especially relevant right now. Women have been turning into dragons, first individually and then, suddenly, in large groups, in a reaction to a world that forever wants them to stay small and controllable. Alex is still a small child when her aunt transforms, leaving her to face a society that refuses to recognize the humanity of women. As Alex grows and deals with the expectations of her parents, her school, and her world, she begins to understand why so many women chose to spread their wings and fly away. Highly recommended, particularly right now, for everyone. A gift for Mother's Day, an escape from the hell of current events, a reminder that women are people and if you deny that, they will return with claws and teeth and an appetite.

This novel, reminiscent of World War Z, chronicles the “transformation” of women in the 50s into dragons. The fact that a physical manifestation of women’s frustrations at inequality, disrespect and dismissal needed to be portrayed is frustrating in itself. It suggests that if people are not literally hit over the head or lit on fire they could not realize, and remedy, that they have a bee atop them or that it is cold outside. Unfortunately, history and even present behaviors prove that this might in fact be the case since women still have to “fight” for equal pay, respect in the workplace and, in some instances, control over their own bodies. The plot of the book and family dynamics portrayed are aggravating, uplifting, depressing, joyful and confusing, as are most relationships in the world. Interesting and entertaining.

Happy Pub Day to Kelly Barnhill - congrats on this fabulous book! And well timed. In light of recent SCOTUS news, I'm feeling very dragon-y today.

Holy cow, this book. I'm going to be thinking about and coming back to this one again and again. Fantasy of the magical realism variety, with a bit of alternate-history fiction, plus layers of feminism, LGBQT+, and chosen family. Metaphors galore throughout this novel, would make an excellent book club selection, so much to discuss and debate.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for the eARC, in exchange for my honest review.

A difficult one to review—viscerally beautiful, and you can feel the impulses of rage and joy that led to the writing of the novel, but the story is sometimes hard to follow and the plot doesn't hold together in a few places.

It’s pub day for this book about female rage. It’s set in the 1950s, and while there have always been “spontaneous dragonings”, there’s a mass event where thousands of women turn into dragons and fly from their homes. If you put the word dragon in the title, I will automatically want to read it, and while I enjoyed the basis of this book, it felt a little too much like magical realism for my tastes. The entire plot read as one extended metaphor, and the first half was very slow. But once things picked up in the second half, I enjoyed it a great deal more.

I loved The Girl Who Drank The Moon, so I was very excited to get the chance to read When Women Were Dragons! To be fair though, who wouldn't want to be a dragon? This book was absolutely unputdownable!

What's it about (in a nutshell):
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill is a poignant look at the subjugation of women throughout history and what it took for them to break free from the knots that bind them.

Initial Expectations:
Reading the blurb, I expect a unique women empowerment story of down-trodden women metamorphosing into dragons. It sounds like it will be poignant, horrifying, and ultimately utterly heartfelt and rallying. I've read a few empowerment stories lately, and this one stands out because of the fantasy angle. I wonder if women turning into dragons is a metaphor. Lastly, the cover is gorgeous, and if you look closely enough, you will see the dragon hidden among the foliage.

Actual Reading Experience:

First off, I love dragons in stories, and the thought of women breaking free from all the patriarchal knots by becoming dragons made my heart happy on so many levels. The poetic justice of it all did not escape my notice, but I also loved that the women found power in a place that couldn't even be touched by men. The dragon world is an exciting and shocking take on what a women-dominated world might look like.

I love that the book is set in the 1950s-1960s. That period happened in the near enough future for any reader to relate and marvel at the changes that have taken place since then. It made me think about my grandparents and their marriages in a whole new light. And to think of hundreds of thousands of women turning into dragons during that time, with the reaction that tells that period, is just a perfect juxtaposition.

The metaphors abound in this story, as I anticipated that they would. From the knot metaphors to the dragons themselves – it's all about women's need to be who they are meant to be without a patriarchal society dictating who and what they will become. I love a good women empowerment story, and When Women Were Dragons did not disappoint on that in the least.

At first, the pace is relatively slower but builds once the dragons take flight. Overall, this is a quick read that flowed with cleverness and passion as women reveled in their ability to break free and soar – metaphorically and actually. All the attributes I anticipated were spot on, and I definitely appreciate a book that delivers on my expectations.

Characters:

This beautiful story's main character and the narrator is Alexandra ("it's Alex. ") Green. When the book begins, she is only four years old. The book ends when she is in her golden years, so the reader gets to experience her life's journey with all the challenges and pitfalls of a woman growing up in the 50s and 60s. Her first-person perspective gives the story a poignancy and provides a greater understanding of how women could choose not to break free of the system, which is foiled nicely by the women choosing to take a new form. Her telling of this story makes it possible to see all sides of the bigger story and not from today's perspective but from the perspective of that period.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for a clever women's empowerment story with a fantasy bent to it, When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill is just the book for you and will leave you passionate about empowering women worldwide.

A really fascinating and unique book about a mass dragoning of women that happened in the 1950s. I loved the idea of it and thought it was well-executed. The book goes between events and newspaper clippings / references, etc. Though I liked the historical documents, it took me out of the story a little bit to stop and read this. A really fun, thought-provoking read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This book was a wild ride. The story is so unique while including magical and feminist elements. Absolutely loved it!

The Mass Dragonling of 1955 freaked me out. Not in a wrong way- in an empowering way. Kelly Barnhill has such a way with words- the setting and build-up kept me up reading way too late. The mystery behind why some women didn't change and the fact that girls stayed human also- oh man, I bet a women's studies class could spend a ton of time tearing into all the themes of this book. Highly recommend!

When Women Were Dragons takes place in the 1950s and 60s when the world is largely the same except for one things - women sometimes turn into dragons. In 1955, there was a mass dragoning where hundreds of thousands of women across the world turned into dragons. Alex was young when this happened but her beloved aunt Marla was one of those women. As Alex grows up in a world where talking about dragons is taboo (and impolite!), she has to deal with a sick mother, an absent father, and raising her cousin (now her "sister") who really loves dragons.

I really liked this book. It reimagines a world where women who were told they were not enough or were not accepted for their lifestyles took back power and became dragons. I loved this metaphor and overall really enjoyed this book. There were a few slower parts at the beginning of the book, but then I really got into it after that.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alex Green is a young girl in 1955 when hundreds of thousands of women turn into dragons. The world is left to cope with the aftermath of the sudden absence of so many wives and mothers after the mass dragoning. Alex’s own mother, a brilliant mathematician turned housewife, remains a human woman but is left to raise her niece when her sister turns into a dragon and flies away. Alex is told her baby cousin, Beatrice, is now her sister and is not allowed to speak of her aunt ever again. Instead of the world changing after the mass dragoning, the government and society decides to suppress any information about what happened, surrounding the topic in silence and shame.

I was already hooked by the premise but as I read, I found more to love. Barnhill perfectly captures the mind of a teenager and the atmosphere of growing up with so many unanswered questions. She describes the push and pull of women’s fears and joys and obligations perfectly. There are so many multi-dimensional female characters who make complicated choices and you have empathy for them all. Bonus points for the incredible librarian, Ms. Gyzinska, who fights against the suppression of information about dragons.

This book was not as intersectional as I would have liked to have seen in such a feminist-heavy novel but I can understand why since it’s so singularly focused on Alex’s individual coming-of-age story. She ends up largely isolated from the rest of society. There is excellent queer representation and there is confirmation in some of the side stories that trans women are able to become dragons, avoiding any gender binary traps this premise could have had. There are no main characters of color but there are mentions of civil rights events from the 50s and 60s and how the dragons support those causes.

Read for a good coming-of-age story. Read for an interesting twist on a historical fiction novel. Read for validation of your feminist rage. Read, like me, if you’re simply obsessed with dragons.

What an intriguing book full of meaning if you choose to look. The book is about women turning into dragons and the subject is taboo. The metaphors run deep and plenty. A nice thought provoking read.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received an eArc of this fantasy novel through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings . . .

I have read Barnhill's young adult work before so I was intrigued to see how she would deal with dragons.  This book follows Alex Green.  In 1955 America experiences the Mass Dragoning where over 300,000 women spontaneously turn into dragons.  This book explores the event through the lens of Alex's childhood into adulthood and beyond.

I thought the first third was absolutely engaging.  I loved reading about Alex's family and how the Dragoning manifested and was originally dealt with.  I particularly loved Alex's aunt.  I found the subsequent parts less compelling.  The second third deals with what happens when Alex's family splinters and how she finishes high school.  I did enjoy this section though the pacing was much slower.  Sadly the last third of the book where the dragons reenter society and how Alex deals with the implications was much less fun.

I think the major problem about the last section of the book was how the internal logic seemed to make little sense to me and have no real point.  And I really didn't like the ending at all.  That said, I truly loved the beginning and did love Alex and the aunt as characters.  I found the author's work to be well written with interesting societal commentary even if the parts didn't fully come together for me in the end.  Arrrr!

Thank you so much, Netgalley and Doubleday books, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

When women were dragons is a brilliant and heartbreaking novel about love, family, change and freedom. A smart feminist story, told by Alex, fierce and stubborn main character, who find herself in a world rapidily changing, fighting silence and oppression, fear and chaovinism. The story starts in 1950s in a version of America characterized by dragoning: people trasforming themselves in dragons, mostly women. After the Mass Dragoning of 1955, the life of young Alex is turned upside down, with a mother more protective than ever, a lost aunt, a new "sister" and a distant father. In a world where the word "dragon" became taboo, connected to the female and surrounded by fear, the story follows both Alex's journey of self discover, through loss and rage and love, and Doctor Ganz's theories, interviews and thoughts about dragoning and the world's choice of remain ignorant and forgetful, refusing to learn and accept the changes.

Filled with methaphors, this deeply feminist story is written beautifully and in a very original way deals with love, loss, change, self-discovery, queer love, the importance in learning and growing up, the freedom of choices and so much more.

This was such a fantastic read with a unique storyline, wonderfully written characters, and important messages for readers along the way. I struggle to read books from earlier years, like the 1950s, because of the way women were pigeonholed into expected societal roles and the sexism that existed during this time period. This book did a great job addressing those aspects and the storyline challenged the beliefs of what women were expected to be at every turn. I absolutely loved it!

The female characters were lovable, strong, and intelligent. I enjoyed the unbreakable bond and unconditional love that was shown between sisters and the way each woman came into her own, whether through the dragoning, acceptance of self, or for some, a little of both. The pace was slower for this read, which worked for me, as I took my time to truly appreciate the story and get lost in this world. I also enjoyed the addition of news articles and scientific journal entries throughout as they brought a lot to the storyline.

I don’t want to say much more as I don’t want to give away storyline aspects for readers. This book was wonderful, feminist, and relevant to the time where women are pushing back and taking a stand to have their voices heard. I highly recommend this novel! Thank you so very much to Doubleday Books for this gifted arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is incredible. I loved it so much and read it in 24 hours. Absolutely brilliant, gutting, funny at times, and so very fierce.

I’ve read most of Kelly Barnhill’s books, and this one was unlike anything I’ve read of hers. In fact, it was very unique and different from *anything* I’ve ever read before.

Focusing primarily on government sanctions on scientific freedoms to fit a desired social narrative, as well as gender stereotypes and stigmas, this book is a perfect example of art imitating life…but with dragons added in. I’d place it somewhere between magical realism and fantasy, with relevant themes and topics that need to be discussed in our very real world.

The book goes back and forth between historical accounts of the phenomenon known as dragoning, scientific explanations and research on the topic, and a narrative perspective from a young woman growing up in a family greatly impacted by dragoning.

This is the first non-middle grade book I’ve read from Barnhill, and while the audience is different from what she usually writes, the whimsical nature of her books remains! I was hopeful this would be the case, as I’ve loved that aspect of her books written for younger audiences. I’ll admit there were a few times near the beginning that I felt the book was dragging a bit, but it makes sense since those parts were non-narrative sections or world-building scenes. Once I really got into it, I was truly excited about each point of view and section!

The premise was unique and fascinating, the stories leading up to many of the dragonings were infuriating and heartbreakingly relatable to real-world’s-not-so-distant-history, the theme of acceptance was heartwarming and lovely, and the main characters were fascinatingly brave in their own ways. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and continue to be excited about the author’s future literary works!

It's 1955 and suddenly hundreds of thousands of women turn into dragons, they unfurl their wings and disappear to places unknown occasionally burning down a building or gobbling a horrible husband along the way. Dubbed the 'Great Dragoning' it's not the first time and it won't be the last, but it is the the single greatest mass dragoning event in history and the government and society want to suppress acknowledgement of it at all costs.

I adore this premise! Women stifled by the patriarchy channeling their rage to transform into a mystical, fire breathing creature? Here. for. it.

Unfortunately, and it really is so disappointingly unfortunate, because I was poised to love this book, I did not care for the execution of the amazing premise. In fact, though it troubles me to say, I found it... somewhat boring. A story about female rage and dragons! How is this possible?!

The narrative is told in a first person from the perspective of an adolescent girl whose family takes in her very young cousin after her aunt transforms during the Great Dragoning. This structure really didn't work for me.

I did enjoy the fictional historical documents interspersed throughout lending perspective to how the government worked to suppress dragoning and telling of previous dragoning events, it added such a fun layer. And, of course, I really appreciated the themes and allegory here of female oppression and women claiming their power.

I so wish this had worked better for me overall! It's the first book I've read by Kelly Barnhill and I know her middle grade books are beloved and award winning so maybe this is a me thing. I will be so interested to hear what other readers think of this one.

Generally not a big reader of historical fiction, I highly enjoyed this book. I was excited to read this after previously reading Kelly Barnhill's middle grade book The Girl Who Drink the Moon. I was intrigued to see this author take on a more adult book and feel she did an amazing job. The way feminism was showed with the dragons and the inclusion of the LGBT+ community fighting against misogyny had me feeling the rage they felt but the joy of seeing them push back.