Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

There There by Tommy Orange

66 reviews

nannahnannah's review against another edition

2.5

I think Tommy Orange tried to fit too much into this novel. There’s so many characters, so many literary devices, so many PoVs, and I wasn’t a fan of the writing style. It’s obviously a case of “just not for me”, because it’s got nearly four stars here.

Representation:
- every PoV character is an indigenous American

There There shows glimpses into the lives of twelve indigenous Americans before they all attend the Oakland Powwow, and then shows how their stories converge at the powwow itself. One of these characters is Dene Oxendene, hoping to honor his late uncle by creating a video project that gathers indigenous people's stories from their own mouths.

I see this book a lot like Dene’s video project (but with a clearer goal in mind, as he states in the prologue): to talk about the “urban indigenous American”, whose story hasn’t been shared as widely before.

The book's prologue and interlude is heartbreakingly devastating and well-written. It goes into the history of American indigenous people from their points of view. It’s probably the most impactful thing I’ve read this year so far.

I wish the rest of the book is as well written, though. It feels awkward and jolting, with entire paragraphs of sentences consisting of two to four words each. That’s obviously a style choice, but it just isn't my thing.

Tommy Orange also attempts a lot with this debut, trying to fit 12 individual PoVs in one novel under 300 pages. Though I commend him on that, I'm not sure how well that works. Of course, I’m in the minority here, since the book has been hailed as an instant classic. But on page 210 or so, the last character is just being introduced. It doesn’t leave much room for these characters to have any sort of arc -- or do anything besides be introduced before they get to the powwow. It could be argued that these characters having arcs don’t matter as much as us simply getting that important glimpse of their lives, like what’s represented by Dene’s project. I can appreciate that, even if that’s also not exactly my thing. I could probably learn to appreciate that more.

I think every kind of PoV is written, too: first person, third person, second person, and in every kind of tense. I’m not exactly sure what that does for the novel, to be honest … maybe to help distinguish between characters? Because they all have the same voice, which makes differentiating them very, very difficult. 

These issues aside, my low rating is honestly a matter of taste alone. If he ever writes a nonfiction book, I will probably be one of the first in line to read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Genocide, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Rape, Mass/school shootings, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Fatphobia

also: non-Black characters using AAVE

mekaylynn's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Violence, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Cursing, Grief, Mental illness, and Colonisation

Moderate: Racism, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

Minor: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Medical content, Genocide, Sexual assault, and Rape

laurao's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Religious bigotry, Racism, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Gore, Genocide, Fatphobia, Excrement, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Car accident, Cancer, Body shaming, Blood, and Addiction

Minor: War and Xenophobia

The characters were numb and isolated. It’s an important topic, but it was just hard to read.

allyofshalott's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Excrement, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence

mommarex1221's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

😢

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Grief, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, Grief, Suicide, Colonisation, Abandonment, Addiction, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Self harm, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

savvylit's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

There There is heartbreaking, vivid, and contains the most well-executed multiple points of view that I have ever read. Each individual character is fully-formed with their own voice and personal history. In the scope of the novel, they all experience the full spectrum of human emotion: dissociation, strength, desperation, fear, pride, violence, passion, shame, resistance, joy, love... All of these feelings are universal. However, the way that Orange has centered these feelings within multiple Urban Indian identities is wholly unique. - Unique not only to this book but unique to each character and their own distinct connections to their culture.

Though the strength of this novel is definitely in the characterization, the plot is also unforgettable. The events of this novel are emotional, tense, and dark. Be sure to check the content warnings before reading There There.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Sexual assault, Rape, Death, Grief, Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Genocide, and Drug use

eve_o's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective tense medium-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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Murder, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Drug abuse, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Abandonment, Excrement, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, and Rape

Minor: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, and Gore

anniefwrites's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

I think this book is one of those reads that I’ll need to reflect on for a while to understand its full effect. Tommy Orange has such a strong voice and uses inventive and intensely visual and sensory language. I personally found the multiple perspectives a little difficult to keep straight (and appreciated the cast of characters at the front; I referred back to it often) and

I understand why Orange opted for a violent ending, but especially given what’s going on in the news right now, it was disappointing and hard to take in.

Nonetheless, I think this was a great place to start for me to read more Indigenous stories, and it explores an often ignored community—Urban Indigenous groups—in a very complex and full way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Murder, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, and Gun violence

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Pregnancy

Minor: Ableism, Abortion, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Genocide, Sexual assault, War, and Racism

ashleycmms's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Abandonment, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Xenophobia, Violence, Drug abuse, Blood, Death, Child death, Suicide, Alcohol, Mass/school shootings, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Racism, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Animal death, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

schorlett's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Alcoholism, Addiction, Colonisation, and Genocide

Moderate: Suicide, Abandonment, Animal death, Cancer, Car accident, Child death, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail