Scan barcode
emptzuu's review against another edition
The author himself acknowledged this in a quote:
“I didn’t want to co-opt, you know, a history that wasn’t mine. I’m a cis white dude, so I can’t ever really go through something like what those children had to go through. So I sat down and I was like, I’m just going to write this as a fantasy.”
Despite being fully aware of the sensitive nature of the history he was touching upon, Klune created a story that trivializes the real and ongoing suffering of Indigenous children and their communities. These children were forcibly separated from their families and subjected to torture, sexual abuse, and murder as part of cultural genocide. Klune profits from a narrative that glosses over the severe and lasting impacts of these atrocities, which continued into the mid-1990s, on Indigenous people who still face systemic oppression today.
Additionally, the book is quite depressing. It follows a lonely man with a miserable life, working in a toxic environment, and disliked by everyone around him—including his cat, boss, coworkers, neighbors, and even the bus driver. He lives in a perpetually rainy city and perpetually forgets his umbrella. This gloomy narrative is masked in overly sweet language, lacking any nuance or real consideration of historical and systemic oppression.
Graphic: Racism and Genocide
akswhy'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
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death of parent and Child abuse
iane_reads'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
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Racism, Child abuse, Mental illness, Body shaming, Abandonment, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Gaslighting, Confinement, Fatphobia, and Racial slurs
Minor: Car accident, Sexual content, Violence, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Hate crime, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Medical content
emmagreenwood'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
Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Racism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Grief, and Hate crime
fred___'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Racism, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Child abuse, Classism, and Trafficking
sometimes_not_dead'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
3.5
Graphic: Racism
emamazee'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? No
5.0
Moderate: Racism and Child abuse
thebibutterfly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Minor: Child abuse, Racism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Confinement
alienguy'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
4.25
Moderate: Racism, Child abuse, Fatphobia, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Homophobia and Physical abuse
fantasy species-based racism, gentle parenting,nutmegandselkie'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
3.75
Graphic: Racism and Child abuse