From the blurb, to the cover, to the story itself I was hooked from day one. This is a fantastical dystopian novel which should be shouted from the rooftops with how good it is! And let’s face it ladies - we definitely feel like it sometimes, dragons are bad ass anyway

From the description I just knew that I had to read the novel and I wasn't disappointed. So gripping and beautifully written.

Can we take a minute to also appreciate the cover - I'm going to have to purchase a hard copy and re read to my hearts content 😍

I loved the concept of When Women Were Dragons! In this universe, women and girls are capable of transforming into dragons ('dragoning') under stress and/or of their own volition. This power is widely feared, little-understood and deeply taboo ("dragon" is a dirty word) in a manner that is clearly analogous with real world hostility towards women's bodies and sexuality. When Women Were Dragons isn't exactly subtle, but it is effective, using dragons and 'dragoning' to explore themes like misogyny, female power, repression and social control. Inserting dragons into real historical events and folklore is another nice touch and, personally, I loved the worldbuilding Kelly Barnhill works in with extracts from 'historical' documents, court records, interviews and academic papers on dragons. I much prefer Dido of Carthage as a dragon!

That said, it’s kind of a shame that Barnhill chooses to focus on white, middle-class American suburbia. As a white, probably middle-class author herself, the fifties makes sense as a setting for her book about women’s rage and oppression (write what you know, I guess). But it feels like a story we’ve heard before: boorish husbands/fathers patronising their more talented (house)wives/daughters, smart white women trying to make it in a man’s world etc. Granted, Alex is a lesbian, so coming to terms with her sexuality and dealing with period-typical homophobia adds a new(er) layer to the usual story beats (her love life is a fairly minor (though sweet) subplot). To be fair to Barnhill, she does have a stab at more diverse representation, mentioning indigenous women/dragons defending their homes and communities, poor and working class women resisting tyrannical, predatory bosses (#MeToo) and a few references to transwomen dragoning alongside their sisters, which warmed my heart. Alex herself is presented as (potentially?) gender non-conforming, insisting on being called Alex (rather than Alexandra), cutting her hair short etc. And *SPOILER ALERT* (maybe?) Alex’s adopted-sister Beatrice’s fascination with dragons could be read as a trans-coding (she knows she’s a dragon and she just wants to live as her true self, despite social/familial resistance). But Alex and Beatrice aside, most of the examples of diversity I mentioned are brief anecdotes that left me wanting more. Alex's struggle to pursue her studies is fine (more power to her), but I want to hear more about civil rights leaders dragoning! How would dragons affect the balance of power in/in response to social justice movements? Give me dragons in trade unions! Dragons for police/prison abolition! It seems like a missed opportunity, to be honest. Also, serious question: if women could dragon, how did white European settlers manage to colonise the US (and the rest of the world) in the first place? Were white women/dragons enlisted as air support/back-up fire power by the colonisers? Despite the in-universe and real-world European sexist taboo on women and violence? What was stopping enslaved women and girls from dragoning en masse in (for example) the ante-bellum South? Their white mistresses?

There are implications to Barnhill’s worldbuilding that don't get unpacked (or even mentioned, aside from brief, unsatisfying asides) due to the story's focus on Alex and her white, middle-class problems and experiences. Yes, it feels good to read about long-suffering housewives/women liberating themselves from stifling social expectations, eating their awful husbands/bosses and blowing up their soul-sucking homes/workplaces. It’s great fantasising about draconic women pressuring (male) politicians into stopping wars and passing progressive laws, especially in light of current depressing events which can be traced to Barnhill’s avowed inspiration (Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the US Supreme Court). But what happens when women/dragons aren’t united in sisterhood? What happens when they’re pitted against each other? When dragons are white supremacists? Or TERFs? Ultimately, When Women Were Dragons provides a fairly satisfying conclusion to Alex’s own personal story, but any broader, feminist wish fulfillment feels hollow and even a bit corny. It’s still a fun read I'd recommend with some great lines in there, and the concept is fantastic, but it could have been more.

When I first heard the premise of When Women Were Dragons, I was really excited; I thought that the concept of oppressed 1950s women turning into dragons due to repressed rage would be amazing. Sadly, it was not. I found this book to be boring, bland, and deeply repetitive. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, and didn’t like the face that the book was marketed as a “feminist” novel despite the lack of women of colour or trans women in the story. Additionally, the author continuously (and somewhat tediously) tells the reader what to think and feel, and the writing is just lacklustre, with pacing like sludge and a patronising narrative. Avoid.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher, Bonnier Books UK, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Women spontaneously transform into Dragons this is the story of not only the dragons but of those left behind.

When I read women spontaneously transforming into dragons I knew that I had to read the novel and I wasn't disappointed. Following Alex's journey of her Aunt changing but her mother not was gripping and I read the novel in one sitting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

One of my most anticipated releases of 2022 based on the blurb alone, this is one of the most intriguing books I've ever read. I really enjoyed Alex as our protagonist and really enioyed the book as a whole

I am not sure how I feel about this book. I love the premise and parts I really enjoyed but it didn’t hit how I was expecting it to or how I needed it to. If that makes sense.

The story is about dragons… but I guess you worked that out from the title. It’s about misogyny, femininity, patriarchy, being your true self, family, education and science.

That’s a lot to fit into this book. I really enjoyed the story aspect, I didn’t enjoy the scientific reports interrupting the flow, even though they were short they were wordy and felt there were an abrupt change in the flow. Not to say I don’t like those sort of books either, but it didn’t quite work for me.

I loved the relationship between the main character and Beatrice and how that evolved but also loved the emphasis on libraries and librarians and their vital importance.

It took me a while to read and that often effects my enjoyment, but I feel like that is to do with me not the book as the last half I read in a day and a bit. It’s a slow paced book in places, it did get me emotional too. The books is very unique with a MC narrator that shifts from her last self to her present self too.

All in all a really enjoyable book with lots of things I think would be great to analyse.

Title: When Women Were Dragons
Written by: Kelly Barnhill
Pub Date: 3 May 2022
Publisher: Bonnier Books UK, Hot Key Books
Genre: Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction | Women's Fiction

In America lives Alex Green. Her life is not so different from ours except of one thing, for her world Dragons are real Unfortunately Dragons are not liked, if fact it is against the law to acknowledge them at all. Why you might well ask (as well as how?"

You see Dragons were not just any creature before they had wings and scales and tails, Dragons were mostly women. And this made Dragoning a "Woman's problem".. Wasn't it bad enough men had to put up with their wives complaining about giving birth and their "Time of the month" but how dare they shape-shift and fly away leaving the men to cope with such womanly chores as caring for children and the washing up (!) Or so society and the patriarchy saw it.

For the most part Alex was unaware of what was happening, (score one for society) but that was until her Aunt Marla transform. Suddenly her Aunt was gone and now her cousin was now her sister ?! A lot of things stopped making sense but Alex knew never to ask any questions, they never lead anywhere good. That however did not stop Alex from looking. As if being a teenager was not hard enough without the worry of Dragoning. Hormones and emotions, as well as trying to see where you fit in the world. Alex didn't know how she fit into the world yet, just that she fit with Sonja. Another Taboo she was not supposed to talk about, there was a lot of things she was not supposed to talk about, to anyone.

Alex asked the only person she could about the dragons, herself. She wanted to know why, how and where to get answers.


It should be obvious from the blurb alone that this book is most definitely a feminist one. Don't let the F word scare you, it is not a bad word. Barnhill shows just what it was like for women living in 50's America. And how after a taste of liberation and work, women were just expected to be "reasonable" and go back to the kitchens once the men began to return from war.

How women were treated just the same as children, as in they were to be seen and not heard. Even Alex's mother was very much of this school of thought. It was due to the reaction of Alex's mother that Aunt Marla gave up her dream job to be married and have a child. The pressure of society is no doubt the cause of "Dragoning" in the book.

The book also showed levels of abuse and neglect, Particularly by Alex's father who left her to raise her cousin on her own as well as raise herself. Her father definitely came across as a narcissist, only caring for his new family.

There is also LGBTQ+ rep in the book with both Marla and Alex both falling in love with women. There are also other references to LGBTQ+ characters but unfortunately I feel Barnhill did a disservice to the Trans community. More on that later..

It is also worth noting that there is no mention of POC characters. No underpaid over worked maid or secretary dragoning.. I did get the feeling that most of the characters seemed to be middle class white woman.

I also do not recall hearing of any disabled women dragoning, old women yes but not disabled.




I think with a few small changes I could have loved this entire book, but there are just one or two things that stop this book from being a 5 star.

Firstly Barnhill says that there are those who are not women who have dragoned but that most of them have "chosen" to be women. I felt that the use of the word "Chosen" to be very demeaning to the Trans community. I think Barnhill would have done much better to say that they were people who had "excepted" they were women. To say T people have a choice about who they are feels extremely wrong to me. Yes they can choose to have surgery or medicine but that does not change who they ARE. (This did not sound like Intersectional feminism even if Barnhill meant it to be. As they say, it was a poor choice of words)

Secondly it would also have felt like intersectional feminism if even one dragoning story had included a POC character. Which made no sense giving what was happening in the Black Rights Movement at the time.. Again I say all this aware that I am not part of the POC community but I still felt the absence.

It also accrued to me that there were no disabled characters who dragoned which was disappointing to say the least. While I might be part of the disabled community I still feel as strongly about the aspects that do not effect me personally.

I would have liked to seen what law reforms were made, about dragons. It may have been ironic to see law enforcement try to take dragons to court about murdering their partners but given that the evidence was destroyed by the same law enforcement they had nothing to go on. I would have felt more real if there were also laws about how dragons were to re-frame from setting people and things on fire.

I still loved this book, even with it's problems, I found myself strongly identifying with Alex, of course I don't know any dragons, but her home life was quite reflective of my own (though swapping the parents around as my father died when I was young and my mother was the neglectful one.) it was hard not to love this work. Alex struggle to keep her family life secret from school and still attend, while also having to adult instead of a parent was so well depicted from a lived view point. The worry about bills and money while trying to graduate was something that really hit home. The not having any extended family to turn to was also a familiar feeling (even if it was for different reasons.) I would honestly have doubts about anyone who could read this and not feel sorry for Alex.

I do have to commend Barnhill for one thing in particular. They seemed to have done some research on Ireland before including it in the story. This is rarer than you might think. A lot of writers who are not directly from Ireland and have never been here, tend to write what they think to be true rather than do actual research. So that was very much appreciated.

If the problems I mentioned above were addressed in future editions I could totally see this being a 5 star work. For now I think it will have to be a high 4 star.

(Side note)
To finish this book I had to use an Audio book (long story) And as someone who finds audio books difficult to listen too or retain information from, I found the Audio book a delight! Narrated by both Kimberly Farr and Mark Bramhall . I really enjoyed Farr's voice acting, they not only changed their voice depending on the character but were able to emit emotion in an incredible way. Would definitely recommend.

A brilliant feminist novel that mixes fantasy, politics, and coming of age. This is one of the most original book about women's condition and I loved it since the first pages.
It's full of food for thought but it's also compelling and highly entertaining.
The author did an excellent job in developing the characters and the world building. The storytelling is excellent and I loved it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

When Women Were Dragons reads like the personal account of a woman called Alex who starts with her childhood and ends part way through university, with an epilogue of sorts to describe what came after. It is in some ways a coming of age and a reckoning. The account is also interspersed with scientific addresses and committee notes regarding the subject of dragoning. Because in 1955, America there was a mass dragoning event (in Alex’s childhood) in which thousands of America women transformed into dragons in one single day. Women turning into dragons happened before and after and the government tried to cover it up by making people forget - not men in black style but - with half-truths and dismissals, firings and a semi-media ban.

What’s brilliant about When Women We’re Dragons is that Alex is not the perfect narrator, she also avoids conflict to an extent, keeps her head down studying ferociously, and refuses to even really think about dragons. It’s little Beatrice who is dreaming of dragons, who wants action, who is the more typical protagonist. Instead we have Alex with an ill mother and an absentee father (having an affair) and as she frequently points out, very little context for what she experiences. The old lady down the road turns into a dragon when she is 4 and is never to be mentioned again, her aunt is written out of history after the mass dragoning, her best friend is banished when it is realised they may be too close.

Very little is known about dragoning, whether from rage or joy, the only thing that is apparent is that self-identifying women are likely to hear the call within their lifetime. And with America in the state we see Alex living through in Wisconsin… why not be a dragon? The sexism is institutional, societal, familial, and so on. No book can cover everything, this is not necessarily an intersectional text but Alex’s very personal scope, even being relatively disinterested in those around her fits the story like a glove and says a lot even about our reality’s history.

I wish there had been more about the global situation regarding dragons but that’s not Alex’s world and Kelly Barnhill has done a brilliant job showing that segment up and raising into question attitudes and how America dealt with things then and now. No book can cover everything, but what When Women Were Dragons does encompass - which includes love and family and choices - it does very well in a story that is wholly itself.


With thanks to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Women Were Dragons was not what I anticipated at all. Although I went in knowing that there would be a blend of fantasy set in the reality we are more familiar with (and one that hasn't changed much from the 50's setting...), I wasn't prepared to be as emotionally invested by its conclusion as I was.

In a world where women 'dragon' and take flight to leave their human selves behind, Alex Green is a young girl abandoned by the women in her life. Full of fury and a desire to understand where her aunt Marla flew to, the novel is the journey of Alex's youth. From a mother that won't talk, to an aunt that tried to share, and a librarian who speaks too much but has the money to silence her opposition, we watch as Alex comes to terms with a world where she may never be a dragon but how she can still love the winged reptiles around her and experience the freedom of being her own person.

I found Alex's younger years a little tedious because she did not want to ask questions or push the boundaries enough to uncover some truths, despite her internal monologue. However, as she matured and the story progressed, her discoveries built up to a climax of complicated feelings and mysteries unravelled that kept me turning the pages. With this journey through Alex's life, new characters were introduced; Alex's relationships with the other girls around her felt like a breath of fresh air compared to her earlier years, and worked to enforce the messaging around femininity, empowerment and dismantling sexism. Watching them literally spread their wings was emotional to read. I also liked the inclusion of the news clippings and sections of documents although I did find the frequency a little off putting when I really wanted to find out the next part of Alex's story.

Overall, a really heartfelt, anger inducing but rewarding novel which I think should be read by all.

“In a world where girls and women are taught to be quiet, the dragons inside them are about to be set free – and nothing will ever be the same again.”

Set in Wisconsin in the 1950s, thousands of women transform into dragons leaving family behind. Eight year old Alex is one of those left behind. She’s told to forget about what has happened but Alex refuses. She’s desperate for answers and as she grows into a strong-minded, independent teenager, she faces the consequences of a society that wants to forget that the Mass Dragoning ever occurred.

This book was beautifully written, the story was absolutely captivating and made me feel sad and happy in equal measure. In a world where women are to this day being told to be silent, act a specific way and to tolerate certain behaviours, the author has captured the experience of women perfectly. Although set in the 1950s, it still resonates so powerfully in today’s political, cultural and social climate.

I wrote down so many wonderful quotes from this book and I know that I will go back to reread it for the pure joy that the book gave me- it’s not often that I am enthralled by a story and that it resonates on a personal level with me.

The characters are sublime- I adored Alex, Beatrice and Aunt Marla. I love that these three women are so strong-willed and fiercely independent. The standout character for me is the librarian Mrs Gyzinska- she’s feisty, doesn’t take any nonsense and empowers those around her.

The author wrote in the beginning of the book that she was inspired to write this story after watching a story about a particular U.S senator and accusations against him. Her blood burned her skin in anger upon hearing the story- echoing the experience of the girls and women in the book when they are faced with unfair and unjust scenarios inflicted upon them by men. My blood literally boiled on a number of occasions and the husband was told about every single one of them, whether he wanted to hear them or not! It’s a book that raises so many important issues; it’s thought-provoking and makes you want to talk immediately to someone about what you are experiencing/feeling after reading particular passages.

This book is a standout feminist story for me; it’s about empowerment, sticking it to the patriarchy, female friendship and kinship and finding your place in a hostile world. Absolute perfection!

I wanted to go back to the start and read it again immediately upon finishing just to see what else I could glean from this wonderful story. 5 ⭐️ all the way (I wish I could give it more!)

When Women Were Dragons is out now. Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the arc.

idea-wise the dragoning is interesting but the way this idea is executed is somewhat lacklustre and as pointed out by other reviewers the feminism within this story it would have benefited from a more intersectional approach.

Really well written characters, great magical realism. A story about love (in its many forms) and acceptance.

I had heard so much online about this book and it didn’t disappoint. Such a fantastic world to be immersed in! I really enjoyed the characters and the way that the scientific research was documented between chapters. This really made you feel like you were a part of this world. Alex and Beatrice’s relationship was something that I found most compelling about this narrative and I did feel that the ending was slightly rushed; I wanted more detail rather than a “30 years later” style ending. Other than that, this is such a different and intriguing read that I would highly recommend.

This was my most anticipated read of the year and it did not disappoint! Completely enthralling, why did it have to end?!

When Women Were Dragons is by far one of the most intriguingly written pieces of feminist rage I have read in a while- yes I loved every second. Many Thanks to Netgalley and Hot Key Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
Alex Green in 1950’s America is witness to the Mass Dragoning of 1955- when hundreds of thousands of women sprouted wings, talons and scalers and just left their lives behind. The questions swirl, but discussion is Taboo and she is forced into silence wondering why her aunt transformed but her mother did not.

Follow Alex’s journey through the lead up and beyond the Mass Dragoning and her own connection with the phenomenon.

Review:
The plot and premise behind this story was fantastic, I found the premise just fascinating and was desperate to see the post war parallels of American housewives- I was expecting something like Stepford if I’m honest as that’s how I had seen it through the media. I will be honest I struggled initially due to the stop start pacing across all parts of the story and the fact we, as a reader were just expected to understand dragoning and what it is. I think this could have been better developed and explained but once you get your head around the concept and idea it’s really intriguing to read. All books are better with dragons and this was no exception

I will say- this won’t be for everyone, please read the authors note at the beginning of the story for the basis of this story before deciding if it’s something for you. Pacing was slightly disjointed due to the medium and perspective changes but ultimately worked well for the story.

The world building felt like the main downfall- Purely due to the stop start nature and medium in which we are shown the story. I just couldn’t imagine myself in the world of 1950’s America- Make it make sense because I loved the premise, but the era just didn’t seem to gel? It may just be me personally and it’s not a major detraction to the overall 3 stars I gave.

The characters were well written and the development towards how the dragoning occurred was definitely the highlight of this story, I loved seeing the development of Alex and her Aunt but felt no real love or connection to anyone else. I think the characterisation and the voices of Alex and her Aunt is definitely the strongest part of this story.

Overall:
I personally quite enjoyed it overall but it’s taken me a while to truly come to that decision- the characters and their voices being the complete selling point, but it did take a while for me to be properly engaged into the story which might detract some readers.

Unfortunately this just wasn't what I hoped it would be. The world-building was very cool and I liked the document-style extracts, but the 'story' part just didn't grab me as much emotionally.

In 1950'S America things seem to be the norm, until 1955 and the mass Dragoning that affects the entire US. Alex Green was only a girl when this happened and couldn't understand the anger and fear and silence that came from it, but she was a good girl and did as she was told; Do not talk about Dragons & do not look up to the sky. But as big as the consequences are country wide, Alex is living with her own, a furiously diligent and overbearing mother, who denies the existence of Alex's aunt, an ever distant father and a new sister who is wild and untamable and far too interested in Dragons. Told from Alex's POV both before and after the Dragoning and interspersed with new articles, letters and scientific research, When Women Were Dragons brings to light the choices we make as Women and the consequences that can come from trying to deny who, and what, we are.

" I was four years old when I first met a dragon. I never told my mother. I didn't think she's understand."

This is a book about rage, about women sprouting wings and teeth and devouring the husbands that dared touch what wasn't there's. But told from Alex's POV this story becomes something else, something more. It becomes about what it means to be yourself, beholden to no one, autonomous, the ability to live life on your own terms. Alex is someone who has grown up in a world where women were silenced, second class, owned by their husbands, a life she certainly never wants for herself. She is someone who loves with all of her being and, because of that, someone prone to tremendous heartbreak. She doesn't understand why her being a woman should mean she is treated any differently, she just knows it does, and at first she is willing to let this pass, as long as she can still do the things she wants. But as the book, and with it her anger and grief progresses, she finds herself not just unable to understand, but unwilling too, and seeing her grow through this story, become wholly her own person, was truly tremendous to experience.

Through Alex, we also get a look at the lives of those around her. Her mother, who chose Alex and her family over change. Her sister, who was always destined to be something more, something bigger, something untamable. Her father, who was never quite willing to understand her, and who was more than willing to abandon her when the need arose. Her Aunt who, tried as hard as she could, but eventually had to give in to the feeling inside of her and escape the life she was living. But as well as her family, we meet people who Alex encounters throughout her life, those that play a pivotal part in her becoming who she was. These are the people who are not appeased by the silence, the people who are not afraid to stand up and shout, the people who this world needs now more than ever.

When Women Were Dragons is a book filled with uplifting joy, profound sadness and uncontrollable rage and anger and is written in such a way you can't help but feel a mixture of them all whilst reading. I can't count the amount of times I had to put this book down, just step away because I could feel the anger pouring out of me whilst reading. Or how many times I teared up, be it through sadness or happiness. How it deals with themes such as choice, prejudice, feminism, showing us the importance of autonomy over our bodies and the threat that the patriarchy holds over that. How it tackles the term 'women' including trans women, showing how it's a state of mind, not a biological fact, absolutely blew me away. The denial of Dragons could be seen to be many different things, but Barnhill shows is to be the way those in power shove anything they don't like, don't want to deal with, or are afraid of under the rug. By simply denying it's existence they can change the perspective of millions, and it's only when we come together, when we force these truths into the light that change and progress can be made.

This is an incredibly hard story to talk about without giving away spoilers, either in plot or character development. but suffice to say that this isn't necessary going to be the story you expect going in. It was slow and weaved between scientific articles, snippets from newspapers as well as the timeline of Alex's life. This book isn't for those readers who live for the action, for the out of nowhere plot twist, for the shock factor. Instead it's for the readers who enjoy a story that meanders, that doesn't necessarily have a nice 'tied in a neat bow' ending, the readers who don't want to sit in the silence anymore. This may be my first book by the author but I can say with 100% certainty it will not be my last. When We Were Dragons is a story that could never be more poignant or more needed now, at a time when, as women, our autonomy is in question, and I hope the lessons from this book can be taken into the real world.

I was sent a copy of When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill to read and review by NetGalley. What an absolute treat of a book! It is beautifully written and a delight to read. There are a lot of emotions that I am sure that many, or should I say most readers will identify with, especially the rage that even in the mildest person can ignite from time to time – even if it is expertly contained. This novel tackles much more than ‘a woman’s lot’ prevalent in the 1950s, it can also relate to other bigotry such as race and gender/sexuality etc, though the story mainly concerns itself with patriarchy and the expectations for girls: in general get married, have a family and if you must work before this happens then secretarial work is the accepted way. This is an emotive and an emotional read and I heartily recommend it!