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deefenestrate's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Abortion, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Kidnapping
glitteringeyes418's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This past weekend I absolutely devoured this dystopian read by a beloved Indigenous author. I read Erdrich's earlier novel Love Medicine, and though I enjoyed it as well, this one was much more fast paced and absorbing.
This novel follows Cedar Hawk Songmaker, a 26 year old woman who is pregnant during very strange, end of days times in which evolution is going backwards, affecting the viability of babies and all animals are devolving. Cedar was adopted by Minneapolis liberals, never seeking out her birth parents until she becomes pregnant and seeks out family medical history and Ojibwe roots. This novel is written exclusively in second person from Cedar's perspective to her unborn child.
This book is SO GOOD! I enjoyed it so much and absolutely sped through this novel, reading it in just over 24 hours which is very unusual for me. It seems like this book had some mixed reviews, which I could see (Erdrich doesn't fully explain the mechanism/implications of reverse evolution in this world). However I was 100% here for the personal impact of a broader disaster, i.e. how it impacted her personally. Since pregnant women are required to turn themselves in to be studied in a hospital per government request, Cedar is impacted by this policy. I loved the surging hope, the unique and memorable cast of characters and the tense and urgent vibe. Some of the camaraderie here reminded me of Girl, Interrupted. Some other comps are Bird Box and The Handmaid's Tale.
I highly recommend this novel if you are looking for a propulsive dystopian read and enjoy the focus on the personal impact of the end of days rather than the minutiae of such downfall. I give this one ⭐⭐⭐⭐, though I may rate it higher depending on the long term resonance.
"I don't know why it is given to us to be so mortal and to feel so much. It is a cruel trick, and glorious."
"This is how the world ends, I think, everything crazy yet people doing normal things."
"Where will you be my darling, the last time it snows on earth?"
This novel follows Cedar Hawk Songmaker, a 26 year old woman who is pregnant during very strange, end of days times in which evolution is going backwards, affecting the viability of babies and all animals are devolving. Cedar was adopted by Minneapolis liberals, never seeking out her birth parents until she becomes pregnant and seeks out family medical history and Ojibwe roots. This novel is written exclusively in second person from Cedar's perspective to her unborn child.
This book is SO GOOD! I enjoyed it so much and absolutely sped through this novel, reading it in just over 24 hours which is very unusual for me. It seems like this book had some mixed reviews, which I could see (Erdrich doesn't fully explain the mechanism/implications of reverse evolution in this world). However I was 100% here for the personal impact of a broader disaster, i.e. how it impacted her personally. Since pregnant women are required to turn themselves in to be studied in a hospital per government request, Cedar is impacted by this policy. I loved the surging hope, the unique and memorable cast of characters and the tense and urgent vibe. Some of the camaraderie here reminded me of Girl, Interrupted. Some other comps are Bird Box and The Handmaid's Tale.
I highly recommend this novel if you are looking for a propulsive dystopian read and enjoy the focus on the personal impact of the end of days rather than the minutiae of such downfall. I give this one ⭐⭐⭐⭐, though I may rate it higher depending on the long term resonance.
"I don't know why it is given to us to be so mortal and to feel so much. It is a cruel trick, and glorious."
"This is how the world ends, I think, everything crazy yet people doing normal things."
"Where will you be my darling, the last time it snows on earth?"
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Miscarriage
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