Feminists approve of the novel , about an aging rock star and her two abandoned children , because it coldly documents the woman 's abuse and is clear-eyed about the economic forces that shape women 's lives ( Valerie Sayers , the New York Times Book Review ) . Others say Allison leans precariously toward melodrama and tries too hard for gut-wrenching emotion ( Phyllis Richardson , the Los Angeles Times Book Review ) .
Feminists were outraged over the movie 's topic .