Scan barcode
deanlockiradall's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Wow. I will admit, I wasn't sure what to make of this book when I first picked it up, but I'm truly glad I did. This standalone graphic memoir recounts the two years Kate "Katie" Beaton spent working in the Alberta oil sands in Canada as a recent college graduate entering a jobless market. Her perspective is colored by a nexus of layers: she is a young white woman from Cape Breton in Eastern Canada; like many in her home community, she migrates across the country from Francophone Canada to the British-influenced West Coast, and works in a very isolated, hypermasculine environment that wreaks havoc not only on the natural environment and First Nations communities there but also the employees themselves, who risk their health and their lives to support families back home. In her memoir, Katie, who faces her own obstacles, trauma, and--most of all--looming student loans, often wonders, If these men--who could be her brothers, father, uncles--were at home, would they be "normal"? At the same time, the oil sands are such a specific environment (especially in the pre-smartphone era early 2000s) that returning to "normal" society is like entering another dimension. This is a powerful memoir, and reminds readers to consider forgotten populations and the hows and whys of their struggles.
Beaton, an Eisner, Ignatz, Harvey, and Doug Wright Awards-winning cartoonist, renders this memoir in all its complex shades of gray. She doesn't shy away from tough topics, such as rape, the health and environmental impacts of the oil sands, the impact on Indigenous peoples, and the struggle and invisibility of blue collar workers, especially men. At the same time, she doesn't sensationalize either: these problems are widespread, but not graphically drawn; rather, the impact is depicted through vagueness and implication, while coarse dialogue and slang highlights the realistic truth of both flaws and camaraderie. Beaton is also upfront with her own social privilege and imperfect knowledge--she neither knew nor experienced the full tragedy of the oil sands on the lands they used and the people they stole from, but pulls no punches with the dark side of the industry she worked for out of necessity--the dark side of capitalism and the hypocrisy of the "support" and "reparations" offered by bigwigs to avoid public criticism. Text aside, the panels are organized and readable, with a comfortable balance between text and images, and a grid-like layout that flows easily for both the experienced comics reader and the newcomer just dipping a toe into the medium.
As someone who knows very little about the industry and only general brushstrokes of Canadian history and social complexities, I found this memoir to be both incredibly informative and a riveting read. The title, too, remains with me--although the actual birds only appear briefly in the book, their symbolism is clear--the toxins of the oil industry stick to everyone, are very difficult to dislodge, and may eventually prove fatal. It is also a very difficult experience to imagine unless one knows what is like to be there. Readers of this memoir may also be interested in Tar Sands by Andrew Nikiforuk, Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan, and Fire on the Water by Jill MacGregor.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexism
birdie_is_here's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Sexism
hellokira's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexism
kfergy's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
5.0
I'm from Alberta and have visited the oil sands/tar sands/bitumenous sands as part of a student delegation. This visit and keeping up with news scrapped the surface of the life and challenges covered by Beaton, so while I wasn't surprised by the stories, I was deeply interested and not disappointed. I hope others are able to access this wonderful work.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Mental illness, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use
roctothorpe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
3.5
Kate Beaton's graphic memoir details the harassment, dangerous working conditions, and trauma she faced working in Canada's oil sands. It offers a glimpse into a world where the workers are just as exploited as the land. This book is very bleak, and understandably so because of the heavy subject matter, but it was quite draining to read. Given its length, I wished Beaton had spoken more on the environmental impacts or the occupation of stolen Indigenous land, both of which are mentioned only in passing. The narration also felt quite passive and disassociated to me and I think would have had a stronger impact on me if it more forcefully condemned the companies and individuals that perpetuate this behavior and destruction. It's very much a worthwhile read and I'm grateful for the experience of this emotionally devastating work.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
ashleykind's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
A brilliant and nuanced look at the oil sands, our identities, and what a loss of community does to and for us. I’ll be thinking of this book for many years to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide, Classism, and Suicidal thoughts
squid_inked's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This memoir is heavy, but poignant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Rape
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
creolelitbelle's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.25
I admire Kate Beaton for taking jobs in tough working environments to pay off her student loans quickly. Personally, I could not see moving away from my immediate life to do that, but I see the allure in it. Student loan debt is no laughing matter, and it's not something only Americans deal with.
At the back of the book, Beaton explains that the memoir details HER experience, and, of course, not everyone's experience working in the oil sands of Alberta are the same. Even different women may have different experiences. The events recounted in this graphic novel must be read in the mind-frame of the time period 2005-2008, because the treatment she dealt with from men would likely not be looked over so quickly today. My heart went out to her at the way she took the blame, excused behavior, or just beared with it to pass the time and earn the money. She saw no truly conceivable outcome that wouldn't make the environment worse for herself, which has been a real predicament for women in many uncomfortable work situations throughout history. While Ducks is marketed to adults, I feel like the themes could be great for older teens to learn from such as: how to crawl from under student debt; what student debt feels like mentally; what workplace harassment can look like; how to deal with workplace harassment; having allies in the workplace; and the dilemma of choosing the job you want over the job that will support your life. The art is done very well with great depictions of characters and setting. I could easily differentiate everyone. Illustrating the Northern Lights with multiple colors would have been wonderful, but most of the book is fairly monochromatic, perfect for the isolation of the oil sands job sites.
At the back of the book, Beaton explains that the memoir details HER experience, and, of course, not everyone's experience working in the oil sands of Alberta are the same. Even different women may have different experiences. The events recounted in this graphic novel must be read in the mind-frame of the time period 2005-2008, because the treatment she dealt with from men would likely not be looked over so quickly today. My heart went out to her at the way she took the blame, excused behavior, or just beared with it to pass the time and earn the money. She saw no truly conceivable outcome that wouldn't make the environment worse for herself, which has been a real predicament for women in many uncomfortable work situations throughout history. While Ducks is marketed to adults, I feel like the themes could be great for older teens to learn from such as: how to crawl from under student debt; what student debt feels like mentally; what workplace harassment can look like; how to deal with workplace harassment; having allies in the workplace; and the dilemma of choosing the job you want over the job that will support your life. The art is done very well with great depictions of characters and setting. I could easily differentiate everyone. Illustrating the Northern Lights with multiple colors would have been wonderful, but most of the book is fairly monochromatic, perfect for the isolation of the oil sands job sites.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Infidelity and Rape
Minor: Drug use
firfearfur's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
Rating for now, will keep on thinking about it because it's hard to rate graphic novels and memoirs specifically. i'm glad i read it, i was moved by it and found other parts funny. sometimes it was unclear what was happening in the scene, especially when scenes had changed but the setting hadn't or a new person was being spoken about. but, i was moved by the sections and reactions to rape survived by the author (out of body, returning to a memory instead of being present), and to the realisations of the effect the oil sands have on the environment and indigenous people. i would've liked more focus on those things but its a memoir so it also makes sense that there isn't. nicely drawn comic, quiet moments (auroras, ducks, displacement). worth a read for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexism
Moderate: Addiction