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lecoursen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
cmstein's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
giraffefightinggravity's review against another edition
2.0
The book is sort of about Marion, a gay Ojibwe man, living on/near the reservation he grew up on. He realizes he's being haunted by the ghost of Kayden, a boy who was murdered in high school, when he encounters a ghost dog/wolf. Eventually, he makes contact with Kayden's spirit more directly, and helps him met his daughter, who wasn't yet born when he was killed. Marion is also partially seeing Shannon, a closeted gay man, throughout the book. It ends with Shannon telling him that he's ready to come out of the closet and be with him, and Marion having already decided to leave the reservation.
Along the way, you meet a ton of people. The book has at least five different narrators as it goes, and it's not that long. You learn about some of the struggles they face, from just general life on the reservation or things related to Kayden's death.
The book was an okay read. Having that many narrators made it felt less like this book was supposed to be about Marion and more that it was telling the story of Kayden with a bit of focus on Marion, which is fine but not what I was expecting. You also only got really brief views into some people's lives. In a book where you're meant to get a feeling for the setting more than the characters this would be fine, but since you spend the beginning very focused on Marion, it made their chapters feel sort of unnecessary and felt like the book didn't have an identity.
I felt sad watching Marion pine over Shannon. I understand how that can go, but at some point I did want to shake him and tell him he knows it won't end well. That didn't contribute to my feeling indifferent to the book, but I was sort of proud of him at the end for turning Shannon down.
I think I would have liked this book more if it had focused on Marion and him solving the mystery and maybe fleshed out more of a relationship with Shannon. The book isn't bad, but it's just not my style.
Along the way, you meet a ton of people. The book has at least five different narrators as it goes, and it's not that long. You learn about some of the struggles they face, from just general life on the reservation or things related to Kayden's death.
The book was an okay read. Having that many narrators made it felt less like this book was supposed to be about Marion and more that it was telling the story of Kayden with a bit of focus on Marion, which is fine but not what I was expecting. You also only got really brief views into some people's lives. In a book where you're meant to get a feeling for the setting more than the characters this would be fine, but since you spend the beginning very focused on Marion, it made their chapters feel sort of unnecessary and felt like the book didn't have an identity.
I felt sad watching Marion pine over Shannon. I understand how that can go, but at some point I did want to shake him and tell him he knows it won't end well. That didn't contribute to my feeling indifferent to the book, but I was sort of proud of him at the end for turning Shannon down.
I think I would have liked this book more if it had focused on Marion and him solving the mystery and maybe fleshed out more of a relationship with Shannon. The book isn't bad, but it's just not my style.
piddlepiddle's review
2.0
I guess I'm not much one for contemporary like this. I just didn't find that I connected with any of the characters. It was hard trying to figure out whose perspective I was reading from during each chapter, or even in the middle of chapters. I would get part way through a chapter before a name was said and then I would have to reread from the start so I would understand better.
I felt there were too many perspectives that we read from, for me it would have been better if it only followed a few perspectives.
I felt there were too many perspectives that we read from, for me it would have been better if it only followed a few perspectives.
benrogerswpg's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this Indigenous book.
Reminded me a lot of [b:Jonny Appleseed|37514017|Jonny Appleseed|Joshua Whitehead|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1514035743l/37514017._SX50_.jpg|59124667].
This was a good one. I'd recommend it!
3.8/5
Reminded me a lot of [b:Jonny Appleseed|37514017|Jonny Appleseed|Joshua Whitehead|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1514035743l/37514017._SX50_.jpg|59124667].
This was a good one. I'd recommend it!
3.8/5
shelfcarewithshan's review against another edition
3.0
This book is an intergenerational story with magical realism about life on a reservation. A gay Native man navigates his relationships, while unraveling history about a murder. Lot I liked, but some of the structure was a bit off for me. 3/5 stars
jrl1221's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
4.5
A nice blend of mystery, magical realism, and an almost love story. Some of the tangents this book went on seemed hard to connect to the main story but I still really enjoyed this.
moonbites's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ⭐️
Though I was left feeling like this story deserved a better ending I was still grateful for the journey. I don't read many stories about the native American experience, this one being specifically centered around the Ojibwe reservation, but I hope to find more in the future. This is also more impactful coming from an ownvoices perspective.
The story is like a winding path. We get the perspective of many different characters who live on this reservation and were in some way connected to the life of a murdered boy. However we follow most closely the main character Marion who is a gay Ojibwe man. I really enjoyed Marion, who was unapologetically himself, but who also seemed cloaked in melancholy. Marion may not be hiding from his sexual identity, rather seems to be removed from his culture.
Seeing Marion's story interweave with the cast of characters with the overarching story of a murder unfolding was a fantastic reading experience. There was a real richness about the story that kept me intrigued. The end of the book is really what made me feel like everything was cut off too soon. I am left feeling so unsatisfied. Though I can guess why Marion does what he does, I wish we could have gotten a closer look into Marion's mind and why he made this decision. The ending line feels so melancholy, I started to wonder how you can fall in love with a place and the people and yet feel sad for it.
But it's better to wake up than fall back asleep in a town with no dreams.
That last line makes me question a lot, leaving me with a heavy heart. Though I am not one to shy away from sad books it makes me wonder what's the point of such a story without a little more hope for the people we have grown so invested in?
It's definitely a book that would be great to dissect and discuss in a group. For such a tiny book it packs a big punch.
Though I was left feeling like this story deserved a better ending I was still grateful for the journey. I don't read many stories about the native American experience, this one being specifically centered around the Ojibwe reservation, but I hope to find more in the future. This is also more impactful coming from an ownvoices perspective.
The story is like a winding path. We get the perspective of many different characters who live on this reservation and were in some way connected to the life of a murdered boy. However we follow most closely the main character Marion who is a gay Ojibwe man. I really enjoyed Marion, who was unapologetically himself, but who also seemed cloaked in melancholy. Marion may not be hiding from his sexual identity, rather seems to be removed from his culture.
Seeing Marion's story interweave with the cast of characters with the overarching story of a murder unfolding was a fantastic reading experience. There was a real richness about the story that kept me intrigued. The end of the book is really what made me feel like everything was cut off too soon. I am left feeling so unsatisfied. Though I can guess why Marion does what he does, I wish we could have gotten a closer look into Marion's mind and why he made this decision. The ending line feels so melancholy, I started to wonder how you can fall in love with a place and the people and yet feel sad for it.
But it's better to wake up than fall back asleep in a town with no dreams.
That last line makes me question a lot, leaving me with a heavy heart. Though I am not one to shy away from sad books it makes me wonder what's the point of such a story without a little more hope for the people we have grown so invested in?
It's definitely a book that would be great to dissect and discuss in a group. For such a tiny book it packs a big punch.
year23's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
I think this is a debut novel from this author and WOW. I loved it - wasn't expecting the mix of genres (I'd call this speculative fiction) but when it's done well (and it is here!), it's powerful and memorable.
This reads sort of like a set of short stories, but I think the writing does an excellent job of weaving them together and keeping the story moving forward through the MC. An exploration of the complex stories of different families/individuals on an Ojibwe reservation. You meet the MC, Marion, who is aimless, in a liminal moment, who, through a hook up, ends up on a journey that helps bring clarity to other stories as well as clarity & meaning for Marion.
It's the queer mid-life equivalent of a coming of age story meets a ghost story meets quest journey. Most of all, this is a profoundly empathetic character study of the MC and the people in his life - sharing about the joys and grief/pain of this section of the Ojibwe community.
Highly recommend!
This reads sort of like a set of short stories, but I think the writing does an excellent job of weaving them together and keeping the story moving forward through the MC. An exploration of the complex stories of different families/individuals on an Ojibwe reservation. You meet the MC, Marion, who is aimless, in a liminal moment, who, through a hook up, ends up on a journey that helps bring clarity to other stories as well as clarity & meaning for Marion.
It's the queer mid-life equivalent of a coming of age story meets a ghost story meets quest journey. Most of all, this is a profoundly empathetic character study of the MC and the people in his life - sharing about the joys and grief/pain of this section of the Ojibwe community.
Highly recommend!
rainbowbrarian's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure what I think of this book. I picked it up for an Indigenous queer story and I was interested in the sort of ghost story part of it as well. But the narrative was so scattered across so many points of view that I found it hard to follow at times.
Probably my lack of familiarity with the culture didn't help either. I was also disappointed by the "tragic queer love story" trope too.
I did like the writing, I hope to see more from this author, just maybe a little less scattered.
Probably my lack of familiarity with the culture didn't help either. I was also disappointed by the "tragic queer love story" trope too.
I did like the writing, I hope to see more from this author, just maybe a little less scattered.