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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
dominiq_ec's review against another edition
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Grief, Animal death, Blood, Death, Homophobia, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment, Hate crime, Bullying, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Racial slurs
Minor: Kidnapping, Colonisation, and Fatphobia
most of the content warnings pertain to the lived experiences of native peoples / NDN folks. if you’re not familiar with this, please do adequate research before reading.dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, and Body shaming
tyyne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Moderate: Abandonment
clea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Joshua Whitehead doesn't shy away from anything, shows us the repulsive and ugly sides of life but also fills his novel with many beautiful, sincere moments. (I especially liked Jonny's relationship to his grandmother and mother. It was really nice to see such a loving and supporting family members.)
The reason why I didn't give it a higher rating, is because I found it sometimes hard to follow the story without drifting away. Maybe I would've been more immersed if I had read a physical copy, instead of listening to the audio book (but Whitehead narrating the audio book made the story feel even more intimate). Also, there is a lot of sexual content and a heavy focus on bodily fluids, which sometimes was a bit too much for me.
But I still highly recommend to read it! Its topics and perspective are all too often ignored or looked down upon and it is really important to give those stories a voice.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Racism
helenab18's review
- 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: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
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
kelly_e'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
Author: Joshua Whitehead
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.5
Pub Date: May 15 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Raw • Heartbreaking • Beautiful
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Jonny Appleseed is a coming-of-age story of a young Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer person who has left the rez for a new life in the city. Here Jonny is working as a cybersex worker, while doing his best to make ends meet. After the death of his step-father, Jonny has a week to come up with enough money in order to return to the rez, and his former life for the funeral. A cultural exploration of love and desire, of pain and suffering, of family and community, of culture and self.
💭 T H O U G H T S
June is Indigenous History Month and Pride Month in Canada, so there was no better place to kick start my reading this month than with the Canada Reads 2021 winner, Jonny Appleseed. Let me just start out by saying - Wow!
This story is equal parts shocking, heartbreaking and informative as we follow Jonny, a young Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer, as he grapples with returning to the reservation where we grew up, following the death of his stepfather. The writing is vivid and honest, the plot compelling, and the cast of characters endearing. The non-linear structure, transformed the story into a unique dream like experience. However, it is this inconsistent flow (a tool, I realize, specifically and flawlessly utilized by the author to share all of the Jonny's experiences) that lead to my being unable to give that elusive 5th star. With that said, this is a beautifully crafted, complex and layered story so well versed in love and loss, in trauma and kinship, in sex and ambition that it opened my eyes. Everyone needs someone in their lives like Jonny's beloved kokum. The heartwarming and intimate bond between them is heartwarming.
A powerful and timely read I cannot recommend this story of acceptance, self-expression and self-discovery enough. Joshua Whitehead has delivered a truly unique and unforgettable novel, an important read for so many different reasons, and I will be hard pressed to find something so real and vulnerable. Do yourself a favour and read this book, I guarantee you'll never have read anything like it.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Everyone!
• All ages!
• readers looking to diversify their TBR
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"There are times when you have to scare yourself to find yourself."
"Sometimes I don't like how life goes on.
And sometimes I don't think it should."
"I was back, and the whole damn rex looked, felt, even smelled the same. All my cousins were still here, for the most part. Maybe Nates stay on the rez because they've been pushed so far already. But wherever we end up, we can take pride in knowing that we can survive where no one else can, and that we can make a home out of the smallest of placed, and still be able to come home and say, 'I love you, Mom.'"
"We held each other for what seemed a lifetime after that. We were so fucking helpless in our nostalgia, both so heavy with our sadness. When you really let yourself fell, well, you end up scaring yourself from all the hurt and pain."
"When I look back at these old photos, I see my family come alive; I see their youth, but I also see them aging and dying and living their lives. It's overwhelming to think about all the stories that we've made, helped to tell, help to create - out bodies are a library, and, our stories are written like braille on the skin. I wouldn't trade it for the world; I love the noise, the liveliness of voices that are laughing, arguing, bingo-calling, and telling stories in a too packed home. In fact, I'd say, that's my world."
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Racial slurs, and Violence
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Sexism
sexual trauma, substance misuse, sex work, poverty, foster care, overdose mentioned