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laurao's review against another edition
- 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
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.percys_panda_pillow_pet's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Colonisation, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Car accident, Drug abuse, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Violence, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Fatphobia
Minor: Abortion, Child abuse, Death, Excrement, Incest, and Infidelity
allyofshalott's review against another edition
- 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
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
eve_o's review against another edition
- 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
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
- 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
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
v_neptune's review against another edition
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Excrement, Grief, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Ableism, Gun violence, Rape, Cursing, Mental illness, and Sexual assault
kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Author: Tommy Orange
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: June 5, 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Urgent • Profane • Gritty
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Set in Oakland, California, There There is a debut novel following 12 Native Americans as they converge on the annual Powwow. Following the death of his uncle, Dene Oxedene has won a grant and has decided to put together a documentary in the hopes of preserving the stories of his people. Weaving together past and present, each character divulges their story of what life is like for them. Exploring themes of violence, identity, despair, family, community and history the story takes us into the urban experience of each character.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Tommy Orange has taken a lot of risks, and with unique style and voice has delivered an ambitious and healing debut novel. It tackles many themes through both cultural and political perspectives, opening the eyes of the reader to a history they may be completely unaware of. It shines a light on the daily victories and losses, the multi-generational trauma of displacement, and stolen identity of not just the individual but the collective. The writing is superb and it's hard to come away unchanged. This book is filled with so many big ideas and the power in telling our stories.
I listened to the audio while reading a physical copy, and this added to the richness of the story as the audiobook contains a full cast. Because the book follows so many different characters I was appreciative of the list naming each one at the start.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers wanting to expand their knowledge
• book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Life doesn't work out the way stories do.'"
"'Some of us got this feeling stuck inside, all the time, like we've done something wrong. Like who we are deep inside, that thing we want to name but can't, it's like we're afraid we'll be punished for it. So we hide. We drink alcohol because it helps us feel like we can be ourselves and not be afraid. But we punish ourselves with it. The thing we most don't want has a way of landing right on top of us.'"
Graphic: Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Racism
Moderate: Death, Cursing, Drug use, and Suicide
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, Excrement, Sexual assault, Rape, Child death, Abortion, and Domestic abuse
substance misuse, fetal alcohol syndrome, adoptiongrubbygrrrl's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Excrement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
hannahr's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Racism, and Rape
kim_kv's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Excrement, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, and Physical abuse