Frankie started off on the wrong foot. She went to the army seeking her father’s validation, and that was her first mistake. I felt sorry for her when she came back, but that sympathy faded as she continued to spiral. It felt like she just could not do anything for herself. She kept making choices for others, whether dead or alive, and you would think her experience with her father would have taught her better. The whole situation with Rye was especially annoying. She had a real chance with Henry to rebuild her life, and she let that go too.

I am not a fan of how Kristin Hannah handled her character in this book. It started to feel like trauma was being used repeatedly just to move the plot forward, and at some point, it became repetitive. Frankie kept centering her life around the men in it, which is ironic for a book called The Women. I truly empathize with the women who served and were never recognized, but Frankie did not feel like a strong representation of them. She was frustrating to read, and I really wish she had the strength to choose a healthier path for herself.

And her father… I understand that he loved her in his own way, but it is hard to accept that he still refused to acknowledge her service for so long, especially when he was a major reason for her struggles in the first place. That was extremely frustrating.

The men in this book were really something, and it is sad how women are still treated as second class citizens in many ways. It is even more disappointing when other women do not support each other.

I am glad Frankie eventually found some form of peace and a way to help others find theirs. The journey to get there was unnecessarily drawn out. I do appreciate the spotlight on the women who served, endured so much, and were not acknowledged. For that, I am grateful their stories were told.

For all the training that was mentioned in this book, not once were we given actual details of what it entailed. How exactly were they training her to use her magic? Was it just attack and then she suddenly bursts out magic? That logic was not great at all, and it made the reading experience less enjoyable, especially alongside how infuriating Diem is.

I really hate when main characters make ridiculous choices just to move the plot forward. It feels like lazy writing to me.

The author also delays gratification too much, and it becomes frustrating. It doesn’t build into a satisfying experience, it just feels like relief when you are finally done.

I would have loved this book if not for these flaws.