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hyperpension'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
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Classism, Colonisation, Transphobia, Sexual content, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Death, Misogyny, and Abandonment
djbobthegirl'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
Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Transphobia, Alcoholism, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Biphobia, Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Addiction, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body shaming, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Outing, Physical abuse, and Bullying
Minor: Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Cancer, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Racism, Vomit, Excrement, and Infidelity
salemander's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Addiction, Grief, Racism, Transphobia, and Homophobia
moviemagus's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Physical abuse, Grief, Child abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Alcoholism
deinonychus'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
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Violence
journey2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
This is the story of Jonny, who has left the rez he grew up on and is now living in Winnipeg. He's working as a cyber sex worker and getting by digital date by digital date, becoming whoever it is that his clients need.
Jonny is faced with having to return to the rez for his stepfather's funeral. In the week before he heads home he is lost in recollections of the past. Of his mother, of his kokum, and of his on again off again lover since they were preteens. His lover who's not gay. Never. He just likes to be close to Jonny.
Jonny visits with him and his girlfriend, both of whom he loves very dearly.
This book is sad, beautiful, romantic, and heartbreaking on many levels. It deals with love and loss and pain and suffering and discrimination and the mundaneity of life.
It also deals with family and love and connection and heart. I listened to this on audiobook and I was completely enraptured. It made me think and it made me cry. If you're looking for a sad but beautiful story that will make you very introspective and touch your heart, than this is definitely the book for you.
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Death, Racism, Drug use, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Blood, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death of parent, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Reference to residential schools and their lasting impact on survivorsnkmustdie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Death, Cultural appropriation, Transphobia, Vomit, Grief, Child abuse, Body shaming, Blood, Animal death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Violence, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Dysphoria, Cursing, Classism, Racism, Bullying, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Colonisation, and Chronic illness
nicole_koenigsknecht's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, Racism, and Alcohol
reciprocalriice'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse
Moderate: Child abuse
brenticus'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? Yes
4.0
The timeline of this book is chaotic; we primarily follow Jonny around as he tries to get enough money to return to the rez for his step-father's funeral, but each short chapter jumps around to discuss different points in Jonny's life as he grapples with his identity. Jonny's role in his family and community is complex and clearly something different from the Western delineation of gender roles. He associates strongly with the women in his life and often finds himself rejected by the men, being accepted by them only for specific purposes. In Jonny's case, that purpose is usually sex.
Why only four stars with all this praise? Well, the book juggles a lot of issues but by the end a lot of the balls still feel like they're in the air or dropped to the ground unsatisfactorily. That's not to say the ending is bad; on the contrary, I think it's beautiful. But there are just some aspects of Tias's life, his relationship with Jonny, and Jonny's relationships with Roger and Jordan and his mother that feel a bit too fuzzy for my liking.
In the back of the book the author says that he wrote this to affirm that two-spirit people are not a thing of the past, that they're a part of society and not going anywhere, and I think that really should have been at the front of the book. This is a relatively short book with a lot to unpack, but at the very least that blurb at the back shows that the author hit his intended purpose perfectly.
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, and Racism
Minor: Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, and Pedophilia