Reviews tagging 'Cultural appropriation'

There There by Tommy Orange

18 reviews

jennshelfishlife's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad 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? Yes

4.0

There There is a powerful story that connects the stories of urban Native Americans.
The dozen or so characters all have plans to attend the Big Oakland Powwow, which is how their stories interconnect along with the shared heritage. All of their stories were quite sad and had triggers (e.g. domestic abuse, guns, substance use, abandonment). Each character expresses a range of emotions from sadness to anger to joy. Tommy Orange's work is quite brilliant and sheds light on the experiences of some indigenous people. I recommend this novel to readers that enjoy sociology, culture, and the human experience.

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mekaylynn's review against another edition

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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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anniefwrites's review against another edition

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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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lacey_wi's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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ollie_again's review against another edition

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reflective tense 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

5.0


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marisa_n's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0


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samreadsbooks2's review against another edition

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sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0


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massivepizzacrust's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Brilliant like a hot knife through your chest. 
This is a complex read that pieces together the stories of many characters and how they influence each other's lives. There are so many things to talk about with this one that I think you could lead a whole class on it. I fell in love with the characters and just wanted them to find peace. For some reason I went into the book thinking it was going to be more wholesome and about identity, and it was about identity but it was also about colonialism, racism and the cycle of violence. It is unflinching and only relents a little at the end. 

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