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kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Author: Tommy Orange
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: June 5, 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Urgent • Profane • Gritty
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Set in Oakland, California, There There is a debut novel following 12 Native Americans as they converge on the annual Powwow. Following the death of his uncle, Dene Oxedene has won a grant and has decided to put together a documentary in the hopes of preserving the stories of his people. Weaving together past and present, each character divulges their story of what life is like for them. Exploring themes of violence, identity, despair, family, community and history the story takes us into the urban experience of each character.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Tommy Orange has taken a lot of risks, and with unique style and voice has delivered an ambitious and healing debut novel. It tackles many themes through both cultural and political perspectives, opening the eyes of the reader to a history they may be completely unaware of. It shines a light on the daily victories and losses, the multi-generational trauma of displacement, and stolen identity of not just the individual but the collective. The writing is superb and it's hard to come away unchanged. This book is filled with so many big ideas and the power in telling our stories.
I listened to the audio while reading a physical copy, and this added to the richness of the story as the audiobook contains a full cast. Because the book follows so many different characters I was appreciative of the list naming each one at the start.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers wanting to expand their knowledge
• book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Life doesn't work out the way stories do.'"
"'Some of us got this feeling stuck inside, all the time, like we've done something wrong. Like who we are deep inside, that thing we want to name but can't, it's like we're afraid we'll be punished for it. So we hide. We drink alcohol because it helps us feel like we can be ourselves and not be afraid. But we punish ourselves with it. The thing we most don't want has a way of landing right on top of us.'"
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Racism, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug use, and Suicide
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Excrement, Abortion, and Death of parent
substance misuse, fetal alcohol syndrome, adoptionbozicina's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Suicide
kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
lyd41's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Fatphobia and Forced institutionalization
gmwells's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Abortion, and Death of parent
echoeper's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Suicide, and Colonisation
elsiehowie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, and Suicide
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, and Rape
Minor: Physical abuse, Car accident, Abortion, and Death of parent
selkiehusband's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Violence, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, and Child abuse
sarahaf712's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Blood, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
katesigrist's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Suicide, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Cancer, Rape, and Sexual assault