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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am always drawn to stories about Indigenous and/or Native Americans authors. I started reading these only the I started my bookstagram account almost five years ago. Love the different stories I read but sadly they experienced the same injustices everywhere.
Mitch Caddo, a young lawyer and political fixer, feels like he never truly belongs in his Anishinaabe ancestors home, but still continue to serve the tribal president, Mack Beck, his childhood friend. When Mack is running for re-election, he is being smeared by his political rival and activist, Gloria Hawkins and aide Layla Beck, who is Mack’s estranged sister and Mitch former love. Trying to vie for control of the Passage Rouge, the political rivals are at end with each other, testing each other limits to how far they can go and what they will sacrifice to gain control, even at the expense for family relationships.
Big Chief is a story of belongingness to family, to ancestral and spiritual home and to its own people. This is a slow burn story that I actually enjoyed. There’s a mystery and a bit suspense all throughout the book. While I can say that I like the characters, there are some parts I can’t fully connect with and except some things to turn out differently from what was written.
The story revolves around one week leading to Election Day. What interest me with the story is how politics plays an important role regardless how small or big their community is. The power play, the corruptions, the division of the members is the same as with any other community and political party. And how one party’s action can affect the whole community. While this happens in a specific tribe and setting, the problems and the issue they face is universal.
It’s compared to There There and Night Watchman, which I both loved. A solid debut and looking forward what the author will write next.
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Great voice, engagin plot, and great chemistry between Mitch and Layla without shoehorned romance. Chef's kiss.
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Title: Big Chief
Author: Jon Hickey
Genre: Literary
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: April 8, 2025
I received a complimentary eARC from Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Metaphoric • Multilayered • Timely
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Mitch Caddo, a young law school graduate and aspiring political fixer, is an outsider in the homeland of his Anishinaabe ancestors. But alongside his childhood friend, Tribal President Mack Beck, he runs the government of the Passage Rouge Nation, and with it, the tribe’s Golden Eagle Casino and Hotel. On the eve of Mack’s reelection, their tenuous grip on power is threatened by a nationally known activist and politician, Gloria Hawkins, and her young aide, Layla Beck, none other than Mack’s estranged sister and Mitch’s former love. In their struggle for control over Passage Rouge, the campaigns resort to bare-knuckle political gamesmanship, testing the limits of how far they will go—and what they will sacrifice—to win it all.
But when an accident claims the life of Mitch’s mentor, a power broker in the reservation’s political scene, the election slides into chaos and pits Mitch against the only family he has. As relationships strain to their breaking points and a peaceful protest threatens to become an all-consuming riot, Mitch and Layla must work together to stop the reservation’s descent into violence.
💭 T H O U G H T S
It was a simple task adding Big Chief, from debut Indigenous author Jon Hickey, to my 2025 most anticipated list simply based on reading the synopsis. I don't often gravitate towards politically focused novels, yet this one attracted my attention given the current political state in North America and for the opportunity of getting an Indigenous political perspective.
Exploring themes of power and corruption, overwhelming greed, environmental concerns, familial bonds, and Indigenous sovereignty, each of the characters within this novel was deeply flawed and unlikeable. Through flashbacks, the reader gets a sense of how Mitch, is reckoning with his past and making morally grey choices, which left me contemplating the lengths a person is willing to go to in order to belong. Aside from the main plot, there are several intriguing subplots that play an important role, yet aren't necessarily fully fleshed out.
The writing and the bones of this story are very well executed, however, the pacing was uneven, often going into long winded explanations of political systems that weren't altogether necessary to keep the story rolling. Additionally, the secondary cast lacked the character depth required to really make the reader feel a connection to the story.
The relevance and timely nature of Big Chief made for an intriguing and reflective read. I appreciated the firsthand account of social issues and Indigenous rights mixed with a bit of romance and political corruption told through a fictional lens. This is the type of book that leaves the reader with much to contemplate and reflect one. I will most definitely be keeping an eye out for future works from Jon Hickey.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• books about sociopolitical issues
• discovering new authors
• flawed characters
⚠️ CW: racism, cultural appropriation, police brutality, death, grief, toxic relationship, addiction, overdose
Author: Jon Hickey
Genre: Literary
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: April 8, 2025
I received a complimentary eARC from Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Metaphoric • Multilayered • Timely
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Mitch Caddo, a young law school graduate and aspiring political fixer, is an outsider in the homeland of his Anishinaabe ancestors. But alongside his childhood friend, Tribal President Mack Beck, he runs the government of the Passage Rouge Nation, and with it, the tribe’s Golden Eagle Casino and Hotel. On the eve of Mack’s reelection, their tenuous grip on power is threatened by a nationally known activist and politician, Gloria Hawkins, and her young aide, Layla Beck, none other than Mack’s estranged sister and Mitch’s former love. In their struggle for control over Passage Rouge, the campaigns resort to bare-knuckle political gamesmanship, testing the limits of how far they will go—and what they will sacrifice—to win it all.
But when an accident claims the life of Mitch’s mentor, a power broker in the reservation’s political scene, the election slides into chaos and pits Mitch against the only family he has. As relationships strain to their breaking points and a peaceful protest threatens to become an all-consuming riot, Mitch and Layla must work together to stop the reservation’s descent into violence.
💭 T H O U G H T S
It was a simple task adding Big Chief, from debut Indigenous author Jon Hickey, to my 2025 most anticipated list simply based on reading the synopsis. I don't often gravitate towards politically focused novels, yet this one attracted my attention given the current political state in North America and for the opportunity of getting an Indigenous political perspective.
Exploring themes of power and corruption, overwhelming greed, environmental concerns, familial bonds, and Indigenous sovereignty, each of the characters within this novel was deeply flawed and unlikeable. Through flashbacks, the reader gets a sense of how Mitch, is reckoning with his past and making morally grey choices, which left me contemplating the lengths a person is willing to go to in order to belong. Aside from the main plot, there are several intriguing subplots that play an important role, yet aren't necessarily fully fleshed out.
The writing and the bones of this story are very well executed, however, the pacing was uneven, often going into long winded explanations of political systems that weren't altogether necessary to keep the story rolling. Additionally, the secondary cast lacked the character depth required to really make the reader feel a connection to the story.
The relevance and timely nature of Big Chief made for an intriguing and reflective read. I appreciated the firsthand account of social issues and Indigenous rights mixed with a bit of romance and political corruption told through a fictional lens. This is the type of book that leaves the reader with much to contemplate and reflect one. I will most definitely be keeping an eye out for future works from Jon Hickey.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• books about sociopolitical issues
• discovering new authors
• flawed characters
⚠️ CW: racism, cultural appropriation, police brutality, death, grief, toxic relationship, addiction, overdose
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Racism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Grief, Cultural appropriation
overdose
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes