Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story by David A. Robertson

18 reviews

billd's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

 Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story by David Alexander Robertson is a simple, short story in comic format but it's also a story that needs to be told if Canada is to deal with the residential school nightmare.

This is the story. A teacher wants his students to write about the residential school past and asks his students to interview an elder. He wants these questions answered -

- How did it affect First Nations people and how does it affect them today?
- How does your understanding the system change your view of First Nations people? Should it? Why or why not?

Daniel asks his friend April, a Cree, for help. She takes him to meet her Kokom, her grandmother. Kokom tells the story of her experience with the Residential school system. It's a story she has kept to herself until this time.

The residential school system was devised by the Canadian government and run by the Catholic Church. First Nation children were taken from their families, I guess for some reason, but from what has actually turned up, these children were abused, both physically and sexually in many many cases. It was a horror that has not yet been completed. The Canadian government established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate.

The story told in this short comic is based on the true life story of Elder Betty Ross of the Cross Lake Indian Residential School. It's a terrifying story. How these poor children could have their childhood's stolen from them. Many died in the schools, many suffered trauma that carried into their adult lives. It's a story that needs to be told, to be read, to be understood. Difficult story, sensitively told, beautifully drawn. (4.0 stars) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Racism, and Child abuse

melchncookies's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Betty is a residential school survivor. She talks of the trauma she endured in a way that acknowledges but doesn’t sensationalize the violence. More importantly, she discusses how she survived and the importance of telling the truth to survive and heal. It’s a short graphic novel that should be mandatory reading.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Colonisation, Child death, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Racial slurs

mirandyli's review against another edition

emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A great read for children to learn about the residential schools that Indigenous children were forced to attend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Child death, Rape, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Death, Blood, and Sexual assault

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Death, Grief, Child death, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, and Racism

Moderate: Abandonment, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

this is such an important read. i just wish it was a little longer and didn’t involve the whole student project part. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, and Religious bigotry

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Child abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Child death, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, and Colonisation

Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual violence, Death, and Sexual assault

Minor: Murder, Rape, and Racial slurs

Drowning. It is mentioned that Betty does not have hearing in one of her ears from abuse.

barbarella85's review

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse

ashylibrarian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This may be a short graphic novel at only about 40 pages, but the story and conversation this brings to readers are compelling. Residential schools are something that most of us have heard about before, including myself, but having the horrors and atrocities put on pages with illustrations accompanying them was so powerful and heartbreaking. 

Thank you, Elder Betty Ross, for sharing your story. 

This graphic novel would be beneficial to use as a conversation text for high school, and even college, classrooms. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Child abuse

Moderate: Child death, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

bimenace's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence

rai's review against another edition

challenging dark informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Child abuse, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Racism, and Religious bigotry