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katiemack's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Aside from a couple of plotting issues (Boulley tries to fit a lot into this work), I'll contribute to the hype by saying that I absolutely loved this. Daunis is one of my favorite YA protagonists I've read this year; she's flawed in her misplaced anger and biases, but she also articulates where those biases come from and checks herself in a thoughtful yet realistic way. This is also both a beautiful celebration of Native culture and a reminder of how much drama Native folks go through that remains unchecked. (Lots of TWs: sexual assault, violence, drug abuse, racism, etc.)
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Drug abuse, Racism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Fatphobia
marieketron'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? Yes
5.0
I loved the various side and background characters: her mom and brother, aunt Teddy, the Elders. They all connect and engage with different elements of her life. They're all nuanced and complex (though some of the Elders sometimes feel a bit one-note), and the narrative doesn't judge them for any faults while indicating maybe some choices aren't the best.
Jamie was a fantastic love interest character. I was a bit hesitant at first because of the unequal power balance in the relationship due to Jamie not disclosing who he is and keeping so many secrets, but both their relationship development and that imbalance are handled really well and I love their ending.
I don't think my words can fully do this justice, but if you can I would highly recommend you give this one a go.
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Suicide, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Car accident, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Rape, and Fatphobia
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Suicide, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Addiction, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Violence, Medical content, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Sexism, Car accident, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Vomit, Homophobia, Cultural appropriation, Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity
omarickman's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
This book was great for immersing yourself into Ojibwe culture and worldview. Having the book written in first person as well as present tense added to many of the ideas presented. I am sure there are many things that I missed considering I am not of Ojibwe culture. I also think that this book highlighted many of the issues that plague indigenous communities across the Americas. For the cultural insight alone I would highly recommend this book. The storyline was also captivating and constantly moving.
Cons:
The book starts off slower than I would have liked. There are also quite a few infodumps for cultural things that seem out of place given that this is in first person. The main character, Daunis, seems to be spread thin in terms of plot. I would have preferred some of the themes to be spread across various characters as opposed to most of it being thrust upon Daunis's shoulders.
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Minor: Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Violence, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Murder, Kidnapping, Grief, and Fatphobia
beabookish's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Fatphobia, Suicide, and Murder
read_with_shawntel's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Drug use
Moderate: Addiction, Car accident, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
linesiunderline'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? Yes
5.0
It’s beyond impressive how Angeline Boulley has crafted a first novel that contains so many elements, so expertly balanced. This book is part thriller, part romance, and deeply infused throughout with a nuanced portrayal of Ojibwe culture, history, and present day community.
I found myself turning the pages compulsively, but also feeling so much thematic depth underpinning the propulsive plot.
Daunis is one of those rare characters you encounter as a reader, where you find yourself imagining her life, and wishing her well, after the book finishes. She is that fully realized.
This book portrays some tremendously hard, dark experiences, but at its core is a glowing pride and reverence for the wisdom, strength, and love embedded within Daunis’s community.
You don’t want to miss this.
Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Car accident, Death, Drug use, and Gun violence
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Forced institutionalization
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- Love seeing a book that places Indigenous lives firmly in the present. This book covers everything from white friends being casually racist to addiction problems and from saying prayers throughout the day to the importance of respecting elders.
- So many of the characters in this book exist somewhere in a morally gray area, and a lot of that muddling has to do with how Indigenous peoples are treated (or ignored) in the United States.
- This may be a spoiler but I'm going to talk about it precisely because I think it shouldn't be treated as such. About 100 pages from the end of the book, there is a rape. It comes at a climactic moment and is kind of treated as a shocking plot twist. I know the intent was to illustrate how poorly Indigenous women are treated, but that was dealt with elsewhere in the book and given that the perpetrator is the most comically evil character when so many other characters had a gray morality (like, um, the cop love interest) it left a bad taste in my mouth at the end of an otherwise gripping book.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, and Vomit