Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Stöld by Ann-Helén Laestadius

8 reviews

annasusan's review against another edition

challenging dark informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Dementia, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Colonisation

Moderate: Gore, Sexism, Confinement, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse

teenytardigrade's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

4.75

Brilliant writing and storytelling about the lived experience of the Indigenous Samí, told from the (mostly) POV of a Samí girl/woman over her younger life. All Scandinavians should read this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Grief, Colonisation, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Ableism and Suicide

vixenreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.5

As important as it is gripping, this book sums up what it means to advocate for yourself, your culture, your mental health, and your own land without wallowing into sentimentality. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Death, Bullying, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Animal death, and Blood

Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, Alcoholism, Classism, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Sexism, Stalking, Dementia, and Addiction

Minor: Car accident, Miscarriage, and Vomit

Be wary of police negligence, slander, school yard fights, property damage, adults threatening children, an attempt at a home invasion, funerals, and PTSD.

literarywreck's review against another edition

challenging informative sad slow-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? No

4.5

Review in Short: 

Laestadius’ prose is remarkably moving and full of luscious description that immediately draws you into Elsa’s snow-covered world. From the start, the immersive story she spins grapples with themes of identity, trauma and injustice; the unique responses of each character reveal layers of Laestadius’ social commentary.

Full Review: 

Stolen is written in simple prose that is littered with beautiful descriptions of nature and human emotion. As the majority of the book is filtered through the lens of a young protagonist, I understood the artistic decision to keep the writing fairly simple, however, I did find myself frequently longing for more of Laestadius’ stunning descriptive writing.

The beauty of Stolen lies in its thematic exploration of intergenerational trauma, systemic oppression and mental health. It took me a long time to wade through this novel because of how impactful it was; I frequently found myself needing to take breaks to process what I had just read. 

In the Myth of Sisyphus, Camus wrote that the only serious philosophical question is whether or not to commit suicide; for several of Laestadius’ characters, this is not merely a philosophical quandary, but an unavoidable reality. Stolen clearly illuminates the struggle of the Sámi people, and the harsh reality that some people (and peoples) roll heavier stones.

In one of the most moving portrayals of depression and oppression—and, of course, the inextricable relationship between the two—I’ve read, Laestadius somehow manages to make the looming threat of mental health issues feel tangible. At times, mental health—depression, anxiety, and the question of whether life is worth living—takes the reins from the poaching villain Robert, personifying the general/abstract antagonist of oppression in his stead.

It’s not hard to see why Stolen is a best-seller: it tells a story that needs to be told, and it does so remarkably well. Get ready to have your heart broken, but in all the best ways.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Hate crime, Suicide, Xenophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Gun violence, Misogyny, Death, Bullying, and Colonisation

Minor: Death and Alcohol

carinaantonia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide, Bullying, Death, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Gun violence, Racism, Alcoholism, Blood, Colonisation, Mental illness, Murder, Police brutality, and Physical abuse

bookishcori's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

Yep, it’s good. Worth the wait for it to release in the US. 

Read the synopsis if you want to know what it’s about 😅. I was gripped from the beginning and it kept a tiny piece of my heart. 

As I’ve read a couple other books by Sámi authors recently, the community and culture wasn’t entirely new [if it is to you, that’s okay, be prepared to google at times]. As with so many Indigenous peoples, their culture has been suppressed and subjected to colonization & xenophobia - this book is a small piece of reclaiming that heritage while also shining a light on the ways racism & climate destruction continue to threaten their community. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, and Sexism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, and Suicide

majabernhard's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

A really important book to read if you live in the nordic countries. It tells a in-dept and honest story about issues you only briefly hear on the news. Really a change in perspective and enlightes your knowledge the sami people and what they have to endure when holding on to their rights.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Blood, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Gun violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Animal death

mellysay's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

Den här boken är verkligen en fantastiskt  verklig historia om hur det är att vara same och renskötare idag. Ett stort tack till Ann-Helén Laestadius för att du skrivit den här boken och jag ångrar så att jag inte läst den tidigare. Den är så otroligt hjärtskärande och gripande. Jag önskar alla fick en chans att läsa den här boken någon gång i livet, den berättar en sån viktig historia. Den är en gnutta långdragen och det tog lång tid att läsa den, i vissa delar hände det inte jätte mycket men mot slutet tog den fart igen och de sista 100 sidorna kunde jag inte lägga ifrån mig boken. Ett mästerverk. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicide, Stalking, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Murder, Mental illness, Bullying, Animal death, Violence, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Death, Dementia, Cursing, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Gore, Alcoholism, Blood, and Body horror