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jessicas_bookshelf's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
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? It's complicated
3.5
dysgraceless's review against another edition
4.0
Amazing! It did not seem very conventional to me when I first read it. The style felt to me extremely liberated and it had to be in order to tell this story properly. It is no wonder that this is the number one book in Canada to outline the tragedy of the residential school system and the effects on Aboriginal Canadians.
bespectacled_bibliophile's review against another edition
Sadly, I was unable to finish this one! And I wanted to so badly!
I love Tomson Highway's plays so I figured I would give this one a try. Unfortunately, the things I love about his plays - the prose, the dreamlike sequences, the storytelling - are what through me off with this novel. For some reason, it wasn't working for me this time. I'm not sure if it is because I need something different from a play than I do from a novel, or maybe it wasn't the right time for me to be reading it.
That said, I can see the promise of this novel. The pain of these two boys is evident and yet they have this amazing ability to remain true to themselves and move through it. I wish I could have finished this book, just to see how things pan out for these boys, but I know forcing myself to would make me hate them, and I just can't do that with Tomson Highway.
I love Tomson Highway's plays so I figured I would give this one a try. Unfortunately, the things I love about his plays - the prose, the dreamlike sequences, the storytelling - are what through me off with this novel. For some reason, it wasn't working for me this time. I'm not sure if it is because I need something different from a play than I do from a novel, or maybe it wasn't the right time for me to be reading it.
That said, I can see the promise of this novel. The pain of these two boys is evident and yet they have this amazing ability to remain true to themselves and move through it. I wish I could have finished this book, just to see how things pan out for these boys, but I know forcing myself to would make me hate them, and I just can't do that with Tomson Highway.
butchbatman's review
dark
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
leegoldfarb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
2.5
blundershelf's review
challenging
emotional
informative
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
4.0
An artful lament - sad, beautiful, and so so generous.
alfeabadwolf's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
booksinherhead's review
challenging
dark
reflective
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
5.0
Absolutely breathtaking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Pedophilia
Moderate: Murder, Terminal illness, and Violence