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katietotallybooked'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
4.0
Liked Most:
- How each of the character's storylines intertwined, even when it wasn't obvious that would happen from the beginning.
- How different each character's story was. Their experiences were varied and how they handled their traumas varied. I think this helps make the book more representative (while still fictionalized) of the many shared histories of our Indigenous community.
Liked Least:
- The timeline of the story felt unclear while I was reading, and I found it hard to follow at times because there was so many characters to keep track off.
Themes/Topics:
- Residential Schools
- Indigenous History
- Child Abuse (Physical, Sexual, Emotional)
- Grief
- Loss of Innocence
- Suicide
Would Recommend To:
- All Canadian adult fiction readers
- Those interested in Indigenous lives, experiences, and histories
The audio is well done too!
Quotes:
“…she told me she was sorry about my mom. I didn't know, but she didn't need to say more. I had so many dreams at the Indian School about going home to her. Dreams about sleeping safe in my own room, playing on the beach at ease and without fear, and cooking with her. What I so desperately needed was to be standing on that stool by the stove, carefully stirring under her watchful eye like when I was little. To be little again, living without fear and brutality-no one gets that back. All that's left is a craving, insatiable empty place.”
“Kenny walked along the meandering creek, enjoying the sound of it when it narrowed and quickened, the peace of it when it widened and slowed, deeper and quieter, the rusty-coloured stones casting a sparkling copper tone on the crystalline water. There was a bitter sweetness in seeing his old friend. He was happy to share their tricky survival memories; it was the other ones, the ones that slipped in through the silences, that he was relieved to lose in his usual solitude.”
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Suicide
Moderate: Grief
hologlam'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? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Kidnapping, Genocide, Child death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Racism, Child abuse, Addiction, Colonisation, Pedophilia, and Police brutality
seductive_cactus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
This book gives the reader a raw look into what the Indian Residential Schools were like and holds nothing back. In the author acknowledgements, Good mentions that part of the situations in the books were based on her own mother’s personal experiences.
This is not for the faint of heart, but is definitely something that needs to be discussed. I only picked it up because my book club choose this book for January - and I’m glad I did. I knew that the Indian residential schools were bad, but never to this level of detail. While the character journey and development is the big driving plot point, it can be a bit confusing to read at times. Some of the POVs jump around a bit without warning and can give you a bit of whiplash.
The book follows five children and their trauma as they go from “graduating” from the schools to becoming adults. Recovering from a childhood of trauma is not easy, and this book puts an emphasis on the lifetime and generational scars this caused.
Other than the sometimes confusing chapter jumps, I highly recommend giving this a read, and taking a look into other historic sources.
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Colonisation, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Violence, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault
mpbookreviews'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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Racism, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Alcoholism, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Vomit, Abandonment, Addiction, and Violence
schwelo'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Cursing, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Vomit, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Rape, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Suicide
theolivetree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Self harm, Alcoholism, Medical trauma, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Drug use, Genocide, Grief, and Racial slurs
bedtimesandbooks'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
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Drug use, Suicide, Self harm, Kidnapping, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Genocide, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Grief, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, and Pregnancy
burnourhistory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Rape, Drug use, and Suicide
linw21'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
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Suicide, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Vomit, Blood, and Child abuse
kailas'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: Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, Death, Genocide, Sexual assault, Racism, Addiction, Misogyny, Grief, Suicide, Rape, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Colonisation