Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good

49 reviews

kimmyvickers's review against another edition

dark hopeful inspiring sad fast-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? It's complicated

3.0

Such an important story for all to read. However, the writing itself is very telling and less showing. We don’t get a deep development of characters as the text itself is rushed. The content is deeply reflective and essential for all humans to know and understand. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Racism, Colonisation, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, and Suicide

Minor: Child death, Drug abuse, Rape, and Drug use

danielle_sips_tea's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Addiction, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Child death, Colonisation, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Drug use

Moderate: Racism, Suicide, Car accident, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Blood

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Vomit

planreadrepeat's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

5.0

I remember when the First Nations reparations were happening in Canada. And hearing about the residential schools. This book was about the impact of the schools. There is alluding to the abuse suffered although not in graphic detail. The five people that followed through the story had similar horrific experiences but how they dealt with them as adults was diverse. Good book to understand how generational trauma impacts families, not individuals only. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism

Moderate: Colonisation

nasvans's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Violence, Drug use, Drug abuse, Cultural appropriation, Child death, Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

kherrington3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, Suicide, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Colonisation

sab3467's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Suicide, Death, Colonisation, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Torture, and Kidnapping

skyisblue's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, and Colonisation

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hologlam's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping, Genocide, Child death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Racism, Child abuse, Addiction, Colonisation, Pedophilia, and Police brutality

joyceticeleague's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

4.25

very important stories that need to be told, heavy but necessary. the writing is beautiful and easy to read. i do think that because the author had to cover 30+ years it did start to get a little dense to read imo but still and enjoyable read

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Racism, Suicide, Alcoholism, Addiction, Child abuse, Colonisation, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

seductive_cactus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

A VERY emotional and reflective book - seriously, I cried on the plane while reading this (I’m so sorry to the people who were sitting next to me).
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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Colonisation, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Violence, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault