Scan barcode
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
This is a middle-grade story based in Iñupiat mythology and folklore, and I absolutely adored it. We are given a look at the first Messenger Feast of the Iñupiat people of the Arctic Circle. It shares the story of how the people were given the gift of music, song, dance, community, and tradition. I also really enjoyed seeing the origins of showing genuine gratitude, reverence, and recognition of the animals and land that they use to hunt, forage, and ultimately, survive and thrive <3
Pina is still reeling from the death of his older brothers, and as he is gathering supplies for his family's winter preparations, he is taken by Savik, an eagle god, who gives him a grisly ultimatum: come with me, or die like your brothers ('hey btw I killed them!' sheesh!)! Obviously, Pina goes with Savik, and learns from their teachings, especially about gathering, sharing, and building community. Previously, Pina's family was solitary because they were fearful of strangers (and like, humans can arguably be deemed the 'scum of the earth' so I can't blame them for this initial fear!), but as Pina returns, they host the first ever Messenger Feast and finally take a chance on humans, and invite others to gather.
I adored this narration by Irene Bedard, and highly recommend this audiobook to those it's accessible to. I will absolutely recommend this to the middle-grade readers in my life!
Thank you to PRH Audio and the publisher for the ALC - I provided this honest review of my own accord!
This is a middle-grade story based in Iñupiat mythology and folklore, and I absolutely adored it. We are given a look at the first Messenger Feast of the Iñupiat people of the Arctic Circle. It shares the story of how the people were given the gift of music, song, dance, community, and tradition. I also really enjoyed seeing the origins of showing genuine gratitude, reverence, and recognition of the animals and land that they use to hunt, forage, and ultimately, survive and thrive <3
Pina is still reeling from the death of his older brothers, and as he is gathering supplies for his family's winter preparations, he is taken by Savik, an eagle god, who gives him a grisly ultimatum: come with me, or die like your brothers ('hey btw I killed them!' sheesh!)! Obviously, Pina goes with Savik, and learns from their teachings, especially about gathering, sharing, and building community. Previously, Pina's family was solitary because they were fearful of strangers (and like, humans can arguably be deemed the 'scum of the earth' so I can't blame them for this initial fear!), but as Pina returns, they host the first ever Messenger Feast and finally take a chance on humans, and invite others to gather.
I adored this narration by Irene Bedard, and highly recommend this audiobook to those it's accessible to. I will absolutely recommend this to the middle-grade readers in my life!
Thank you to PRH Audio and the publisher for the ALC - I provided this honest review of my own accord!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Grief, and Animal death
Moderate: Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child abuse, and Mental illness
readingwithkaitlyn's review
informative
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, and Animal death
Moderate: Death, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Mental illness, Child abuse, and Excrement
Starvation.
More...