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alexalily's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Violence, Trafficking, Child abuse, Confinement, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Blood, Medical content, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Racism, Infertility, Child death, Sexual assault, and Animal death
the_wistful_word_witch'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
5.0
**POTENTIAL SPOILERS BELOW*
Welp! Looks like I spoke too soon in my review of The Marrow Thieves!! Hunting by Stars starts out with a kick right in the teeth. I felt like the first book had left off unresolved but hopeful, and the second has just shattered that illusion in the first few sentences.
This book gives us an intimate, brutal look at what really goes on in Canada's new residential schools, and the depths to which the dreamless have sunk comes out as French fights to stay sane in this cruel new world so that he can escape and reunite with his family. But his torment isn't over even when he manages to accomplish these almost insurmountable feats, and his family gets dragged down with him on their own flight for freedom...
There are very few bright spots in this book, and I cried a lot, especially during the last few chapters. The epilogue had me bawling though because Ms. Dimaline once again leaves us with hope, with potential... with dreams.
Graphic: Grief, Genocide, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Violence, Hate crime, Confinement, Blood, Medical trauma, Death, Slavery, Racism, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, and Murder
Minor: Child death
isabellesbookroom's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Racism, Pregnancy, Murder, Medical trauma, Cannibalism, Blood, Genocide, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Minor: Rape
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Trafficking, Gun violence, Blood, Death, Gore, Murder, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Confinement, Pregnancy, Grief, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Child death
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Xenophobia, and Genocide
Moderate: Abandonment, Trafficking, Torture, Racism, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Medical content
whitedaylilies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexual violence, Gore, Medical content, Blood, Cannibalism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Torture
electricjuicebox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I thought this book does a good job of balancing YA content (adolescent crushes, family ties vs. differences) with a dark and challenging premise. The author spends some time at the beginning of the book reintroducing us to the characters and providing a brief overview of the plot of the first novel, but I would highly recommend starting there since the story continues almost immediately where The Marrow Thieves leaves off. I enjoyed the varied perspectives in this book, and also liked how Dimaline included different indigenous groups among the main characters. This book has some very dark parts, which is to be expected given the subject matter, but also maintains a strong thread of hope and resistance throughout the story.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Torture
hannendez'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Genocide, Confinement, and Racism
Moderate: Torture, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Pregnancy
nataliebootlah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It picks up where we left offāin a ravaged world where Indigenous people are hunted for their bone marrow, which is believed to bring back dreams. French and his found family are still on the run, willing to do anything to stay out of the hands of the Recruiters.
When French is captured and ends up at a school, he must decide how far heās willing to go to escape. On the outside, his family is deciding the same thing. Through brutal trials, questions of character, love, loss, and everything in between, we see what freedom means for this family.
Dimaline captures a fictionalized version of the very real residential schools that took place in the US and Canada, where Indigenous people were sent to boarding schools to sever their cultures and traditions. It is a harrowing look into North Americaās history and a reminder of what happened right under the soles of our feet.
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Child death
caseythereader'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? No
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Sexual violence