Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

There There by Tommy Orange

66 reviews

emilybaum's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Mass/school shootings, and Gun violence

Moderate: Genocide

Minor: Rape and Domestic abuse

lev0001's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

It's certainly impactful. Thoughtful novel, a study into generational trauma etc. Weirdly I liked the prologue the most and I think personally it could've been dispersed throughout the novel. I do think that the structure was slightly sloppy with the amount of characters. It's a dizzying tapestry that loses the plot at times. But that could also be fault with my (poor) memory. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, and Genocide

Minor: Drug abuse and Domestic abuse

lgiunta's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Genocide, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse

kathrynclaire's review

emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Racism, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Rape, Drug use, Cultural appropriation, and Sexual assault

Minor: Genocide and Abortion

charity_ix's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

I loved the stories in this book so much! I thought 14 people would be too many to follow initially, but it worked out perfectly fine and the way everyone connected was so satisfying. I loved how the book had a casual vibe but was also part of a larger event, the powwow. Although this book is fiction, I learned so much about urban Native American communities and culture, specifically in Oakland. My favorite stories definitely were Jaqueline, Opal, and Orvil. I also just thought the themes were so fitting and heartbreaking, but also realistic. This did take me a while to read, not because it was boring but just because I've been busy with the holidays and finals.

The pacing is done well, but the whole plot to rob the powwow was lost on me. I liked some parts of it, but others I didn't understand or found it uninteresting. I also thought the actual powwow itself was slightly anti climatic, but the ending was tragically perfect in my opinion.

Overall it was an amazing book with beautifully written stories about the Native American community in Oakland. I would read more from the author in the future for sure! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Rape, Gun violence, Addiction, Grief, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Trafficking and Genocide

lanid's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Body shaming, Terminal illness, Violence, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Genocide, and Domestic abuse

sydapel's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

One of those books that will just haunt you in a way that feels both comforting but leaves a deep ache. Even with a tragedy you can see slowly approaching, it's the characters that grab onto you and leave you thinking long after you've finished the book. These characters will deeply change the way you think about indigenous people in America and what as a culture they have been through. Definitely check trigger warnings but this is not one to skip. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Violence, Alcoholism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Sexual content, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Child death, Blood, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Murder, Mental illness, Hate crime, Genocide, and Physical abuse

clare072's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings and Gun violence

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Cursing, and Mental illness

Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Fatphobia, Cancer, Car accident, Genocide, Abortion, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness

bisexualwentworth's review

• 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

4.0

There There is the story of twelve indigenous people who end up at a powwow in Oakland, California. It traces their lives and their struggles and their relationships with each other in a gorgeously non-linear way.

There are so many interesting and experimental things going on in this book. There’s definitely a whole capstone paper about indigenous temporarily here. There’s a lot of interesting ruminations on Native identity and urban Native identity in particular (and I’m sure I missed a lot more as a white reader).

This is the first piece of long-form fiction that I’ve ever seen successfully incorporate first, second, AND third person point of view chapters as well as both present and past tense sections interspersed throughout the book (see earlier point about non-linear storytelling).

I read There There this week because it’s the Great Read at the library where I work and therefore kind of the book of the moment in my town. Tommy Orange is doing an author event that I tragically won’t be able to attend. It’s all very cool and I’m glad it got me to read this book!

I didn’t totally love this one, though. Some of the characters felt a bit too similar. The women in particular were all defined by sexual violence in one way or another, and while I know that it’s really important to talk about the horrible amounts of sexual violence faced by Native women, I wish that there had been more variety of women’s stories in this book. Maybe that’s unreasonable to expect from a cis man author. I don’t know.

Also, why did I think that Tommy Orange was queer? I’m pretty sure he’s not and the book is incredibly cishet, so I’m not sure where that idea came from. Oh well.

Please look at the very extensive list of content warnings if you have any of the major triggers. This book contains most of them.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Racism, Blood, Child death, Death, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, and Murder

Moderate: Rape, Body shaming, Cancer, Colonisation, Suicide, Fatphobia, and Genocide

gilnean's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Excrement, Murder, Gore, Death, Genocide, Colonisation, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, Cursing, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Child death, Alcoholism, Grief, Alcohol, Addiction, Drug abuse, Racism, Gun violence, Suicide, Drug use, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Rape, Death of parent, Medical content, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy

Minor: Pedophilia, Torture, Abandonment, Abortion, Self harm, Classism, Kidnapping, Confinement, Child abuse, Mental illness, Body horror, and Religious bigotry