Reviews with content warning for Murder - There There

An incredibly powerful book to finish off my 2023 with. I’m grateful for the cast of characters in the beginning (that was easy enough to reference back to since I was reading the physical edition) in order to help keep everything straight. The twists and turns of how everyone came together at the powwow reeled me in.

I do agree with other reviewers that I wish there was more for the women of the book, and that some things had been handled much differently.

I’m also frustrated that the ending is basically a cliffhanger. We get invested only to not see the other side of the shooting. Part of me wonders if that is truly on purpose, that we don’t get to have these truly joyful reunions and feel lighter and brighter about things. I do think the bookends of the novel being Tony is an elegant setup.

Definitely a heavy read, be sure to check trigger warnings.

Content Warnings

wellreadandhalfdead's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

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brooketreads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

The beginning started out really strong for me. The writing throughout is really good. I wrote this in my story graph notes at 8%:

“The drone. I didn’t see it there. I saw an Indian. I saw a dancer.” 🥺

Some of the story lines were just so engaging and made me really feel for the characters.

But, then the characters just kept coming. I couldn’t keep them or the story lines straight. I feel like I need to reread and make a diagram. This may be a me problem, but it affected my enjoyment a little.

I liked how all the storylines were converging, but when they finally did I felt like the story was rushed.

The last 30 minutes though… Wow.

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katelynprice's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad medium-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? Yes

3.75

This book is moving and smart and so very important. I got a little bogged down by all the characters and trying to connect them all, but I loved that they were all woven together. I was not a fan of the ending, which really affects the way I see the book as a whole.

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kimschouwenaar's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring sad tense slow-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

4.0

Secrets lie through omission just like shame lies through secrecy.

This took me so long to actually get into. Started reading this for my world lit class last May, and kind of forgot about it until I saw it again in my currently reading list.

This book is written from multiple perspectives and in first-person, second-person and third-person narrative. I think the main problem I had when I started reading is the amount of characters; each chapter is from the perspective of a different character, and in the final 25 chapters — which are all very short — they all come together at the powwow.

But those final 25 chapters had me crying. Reading the book, you know what's coming, and yet you remain hopeful that there will be some kind of interference so the ending will change. It's absolutely heartbreaking. There There is not only a story about Native American history, but it's also a tale about surviving in a system that is built against you. Would definitely recommend to everyone, you just need to get through the first couple of chapters and familiarise yourself with all the characters. Hard to digest, but definitely worth your time.

We didn't have last names before they came. When they decided they needed to keep track of us, last names were given to us, just like the name Indian itself was given to us.

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felofhe's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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itsjadenbaby's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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? It's complicated

4.5

This book should be read by everyone who can stomach the triggers. Getting perspectives from Native Americans who don’t live on reservations is SO important when society acts like they don’t exist. The plot is heartbreaking, but highlights the centuries-old story of how non-natives continue to exploit native land, money, and resources.

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