It's been hard for me to decide how to review this novel. It certainly was a page turner for me, and yet--I had some problems with the main character. For starters, Frida Liu had more than a "bad day." She left her toddler alone for over two hours, and she knew that she was doing it. That she refused to ask for help was overly proud, but that she chose not to take her child with her when she left the house is just inexplicable. So, right away, I felt that she deserved some consequences.

That said, the consequence she faces is bizarre. This is where the novel becomes dystopian. The dolls these parents had to use in training were the stuff of nightmares, and could easily be made into another story...meanwhile, the author did make an effective statement about the problems of child services: the racism, sexism, and classism involved in child custody judgements.



In the end, I felt that Frida lost focus on what was best for her child and spurned the attention of those who loved her and wanted to help. I suppose the reader must decide whether this horrible "training" she was forced to complete is at fault for Frida's messed up perceptions. The system was certainly horrible for the child, and indeed, everyone involved. There is much to discuss here, but I do wish Frida had been a little more likeable.