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readingwithgoose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Alcohol, Blood, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Body shaming, Rape, Excrement, and Abortion
spicycronereads's review against another edition
- 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
The narrative is made up of many different points of view of “urban Indians,” mostly in and around Oakland, CA. With the multiple POVs you see the vast interconnectedness of the characters that leads toward the climactic event but you do lose out on a sense of depth with any given character. Nor do they have time to develop. So it is more like sketches of the various actors who all meet at the powwow event in the climax.
Each of the characters is dealing with their indigenous identity as well as various class-based and family traumas, that are undoubtedly connected to the historic violence against Native Americans. I do wish that with one or two characters we could have focused more on community, or their successes, or joy. The focus was almost entirely anchored in trauma and deficit, exploring the “there there” that is gone. I suspect that contemporary indigenous identity is more multi-dimensional than that.
There are many moments of poetry throughout the book. One of my favorite lines is “To cry is to waste the feeling. He needs to dance with it. Crying is for when there’s nothing left to do.”
The ending is ambiguous and I didn’t mind that though there were a couple of loose ends I would have liked to have seen tied up.
Overall a gorgeous read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Graphic: Gun violence and Racism
Moderate: Violence, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Abortion, and Animal death
pferdina's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Colonisation, Alcoholism, Cursing, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Addiction, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, Cancer, Racism, Drug use, Mental illness, Car accident, and Domestic abuse
sarah984's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Alcoholism, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Death, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Genocide, Animal death, Ableism, Colonisation, Abortion, Drug use, Medical content, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, and Rape
ruthypoo2's review
- 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
4.5
Each character in the book has a very powerful voice and the author, Tommy Orange, throughout the course of the storyline, exposes the common threads shared by the indigenous community and the almost predictable life struggles they will encounter. The book also dangles a carrot for the reader in knowing the story will eventually culminate in most of the main characters attending an upcoming powwow. The question is, how might they interact and what good outcomes can be expected?
I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience with this book. The author’s writing style is vivid and in my opinion, doesn’t have a lot of filler. The characters are relatable and I appreciated the history incorporated into the story. Most of the Native American authors and books I’ve read up to this point have been set on tribal land and take place within the tribal community only. While I’m aware of tribal communities and businesses in the desert areas of California, Arizona, and Nevada, my eyes are now opened to more urban centers like Oakland.
I listened to the audiobook and very much enjoyed the clear and crisp delivery of the ensemble of narrators that includes Darrell Dennis, Alma Cuervo, Kyla Garcia, and Shaun Taylor-Corbett.
Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Child death, Bullying, Abortion, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Blood
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, Ableism, Body horror, Death, Cursing, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Racism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Genocide, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Body shaming, Grief, Addiction, Blood, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Car accident, Death of parent, Dysphoria, and Suicide
Moderate: Abortion
halaagmod'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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Alcoholism, and Racism
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Addiction, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Abortion and Drug use
annettenk'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
4.75
I think I would have a tough time appreciating and keeping track of all the interwoven stories and characters if I had read this over a long span of time/small bits at a time or as an audiobook.
Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide, Addiction, Colonisation, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault, Abortion, Drug use, and Child death
katelynprice'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
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, and Genocide
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Car accident, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicide, Abortion, Sexual violence, Cancer, and Drug use
crescent_moon22's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book follows 12 characters and their life journeys. They drive the plot by eventually meeting up at the big pow pow in Oakland, CA. It describes the struggles of modern day Indians after centuries of oppression. Orange has a beautiful writing style and can easily code switch between the characters.
Graphic: Rape, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Suicide, Genocide, Addiction, Blood, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Abortion, and Racism