Reviews tagging 'Pandemic/Epidemic'

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

6 reviews

spicycronereads's review

adventurous hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This was an interesting concept - a post apocalyptic North America where the apocalypse was a combination of climate change, colonialism, and capitalism. So…near future sci fi. The central concept - that non-indigenous people have lost the ability to dream and now hunt and try to harvest dreams from indigenous folks, killing them in the process - was really strong.

The story initially follows MMC Frenchie as his family is displaced and eventually lost. He joins a group of other indigenous folks in his quest to continue following his parents’ direction to travel North. But it feels more like an ensemble of characters rather than necessarily Frenchie’s story. We get glimpses of the backstories of a few of the secondary characters and as result they seem to almost have more dimension than Frenchie or his love interest Rose, the multi racial character who joins the band of travelers. There was a bit more showing rather than telling in terms of character development so I didn’t quite feel as drawn in as I could have.

I would have liked more back story on Minerva. Obviously her role as elder is really important but that and the brief story of her SA is kind of all we know. Similarly, there was no attention to where Frenchie’s dad had been all this time or how he came to be where he was. Same for Isaac. Though I was pleasantly surprised when it was him among the other group. I expected it to be someone else from Frenchie’s family

That said, it was still an enjoyable read. As I said, the concept is really interesting. It is well-paced. I read most of it in a day. And there are a few twists that are simultaneously predictable and surprising. Don’t want to say more for fear of spoiling.

In terms of diverse representation, the book is primarily indigenous characters, with a few multi racial characters here and there. There is a gay man among the main characters. 

There is a romance subplot but it is also suffers from the author telling rather than showing. It also goes from the character stating they are in love with the other person to later only really liking them. So that was a bit confusing.  I give it one swoony heart. 💖

Overall, I liked it, despite these issues. They didn’t accumulate to the light where I didn’t enjoy the book. I will likely read the second one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 💖

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, and Animal death

Reservation schools, SA happens once on page (though not described in detail) and once mentioned in passing.

tlaynejones's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, Medical trauma, Racism, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, and Genocide

Moderate: Drug use and Sexual assault

lpdx's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Rape, Violence, Child abuse, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Torture, Trafficking, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Medical trauma, and Hate crime

Moderate: Confinement and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Drug use and Cannibalism

zombiezami's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Grief, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Child abuse, Gore, Blood, Murder, Animal death, Death, Child death, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Colonisation, Vomit, Sexual violence, Stalking, Rape, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism

msbarnesela's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Disclaimer: I’m not the target audience for this book. It’s YA, and it reads like YA, and I am not a teenager. I read this to determine whether I could use it with my students.

The plot moves quickly, and the chapters are short. The premise is compelling. The characters make sense, given the situation and setting. I wanted good things for them. They weren’t always likable, but they’re trying to survive while people are hunting them, and most of them are also dealing with puberty, so some prickliness is to be expected. 

I’m not a huge fan of the style of the prose. The book is from the perspective of the main character, who is a teen boy. The way his emotions and observations are narrated feels a little too exaggerated while also being weirdly self-aware. I would have enjoyed a bit more emotional subtlety and maybe just more writing craft? But again, I’m not the target audience. And I wonder if some of the storytelling techniques are echoing oral narrative techniques that I’m just not culturally connected to.

This is a book that I will use with my students. It has references to some really terrible things (see content warnings), but none of it is graphic. Violence and sex are acknowledged but not narrated, so it’s appropriate for younger high school (and maybe mature 8th graders, with adult support to contextualize and process the traumatic parts). Stylistically and structurally, it’s probably an easy enough read for middle grades. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Death, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Racism, Trafficking, Violence, Child death, Cultural appropriation, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Medical content, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Rape, and Trafficking

One character alludes to being gang-raped (the lead-up and aftermath are briefly detailed, but not the rape itself). Another character is said to have been raped (no detail). Kidnapping, trafficking, medical experimentation, and murder of indigenous people are the premise of the book, so it’s to be expected that it’s referenced. Residential schools are referenced frequently, but there’s very little description of the experience of institutionalization since only one character in the book had spent any time in the schools. There is one reference to sexual arousal between two teens, but nothing happens beyond kissing, and it’s awkwardly and abruptly interrupted. Two young adult characters couple up, and the woman is mentioned to be pregnant, but it’s a passing reference. Some characters shoot people (mostly justifiable self-defense) and feel bad about it afterwards.

sweetsimplenothing's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Child death, Death of parent, and Genocide

Moderate: Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Gun violence