Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

107 reviews

kawooreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This one started slow, and then as soon as I got about halfway through and invested in the story, I accidentally hit the "return" button on Libby and had to wait 1.5 months to get it back. Getting back into the book was not difficult because the story is so unique. We are in a dystopian future where people have lost the ability to dream. The world powers have discovered that they are able to reclaim this ability through consumption of Indigenous bone marrow. This revelation prompts the re-opening of residential schools and governmental roundup of Indigenous people across the globe. A small band of individuals in Canada form a group and are trying to get into far the North to safety. This book shocked me, I was both terrified and heartbroken at how treacherous the journey is, so far, for this "found family". The author intricately interweaves traditional teachings, colonial history, and post-apocalyptic futurism into a believable narrative about the worst ambitions of man.   I am surprised this book is categorized as Young Adult. Even though it's told through the eyes of a teenager, it's a gritty, endearing story that should appeal to older audiences. I can't wait to read the second book as I have many unanswered questions! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Death, and Violence

rtaire's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Death of parent, Gun violence, and Child death

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

couldyounot's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.5

The characters seemed rather flat, and some things probably wouldn't have happened in real life, and there is quite a bit of violence, but other than that it's a fine book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Murder, Racism, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Blood, Child death, Violence, Gore, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

alexalily's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Death of parent, Genocide, Colonisation, Child death, and Racism

Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Murder, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, and Animal death

rorikae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

4.25

'The Marrow Thieves' by Cherie Dimaline is a near future story centering on a group of Indigenous people trying to survive in a world that wants to harvest their bone marrow for dreams. 
In the future, a majority of the population has lost the ability to dream. The one population that has retained the ability to dream are Indigenous people. This ability is stored in their bone marrow and so the government has started hunting Indigenous people down to harvest their bone marrow. The story follows Frenchy, a young Indigenous boy who has lost his family and is trying to survive in a world where Indigenous people are seeking to protect their community from exploitation. 
Dimaline does a great job of telling a full world's story through the eyes of one specific character and his interactions. Frenchy has dealt with a lot of pain in his life and the book is a rollercoaster of both highs and lows for him as he seeks to survive. This story centers the importance of family and culture while also being an allegory for the way Indigenous people are treated in current society. In this future world, the government has reinstated residential schools as a way of harvesting the bone marrow, harkening back to an all too recent past. As a Young Adult book, I think this does a great job of exploring Frenchy's life while also looking at how Indigenous people are exploited and harmed in North America. I am so glad to have discovered Dimaline's work this year and can't wait to read more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Violence, Murder, Gun violence, Genocide, and Grief

the_wistful_word_witch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

The Marrow Thieves is a captivating look at how Indigenous people survive and try to thrive despite being hunted by white people again, this time for their ability to still dream, after the climate apocalypse.

**POTENTIAL SPOILERS BELOW**

Ms Dimaline is a true storyteller. Her world-building is horrifyingly realistic, given the subject matter. Her characters are fully realized and your focus is instantly drawn to them. She is uniquely capable of making you care deeply for all of them. I love her descriptions of the bonds batween virtual strangers who are still family because of their shared history. I cried in several places and the ending was perfect for the story. It leaves you with hope, despite it not really being a resolution. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Child death and Death of parent

Minor: Torture

ollie77777's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Police brutality, Child death, Genocide, Racism, and Colonisation

solenekeleroux's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Genocide, Racism, Violence, Murder, Rape, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Child death, Death, Grief, Hate crime, and Sexual assault

arsenic_'s review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Colonisation, and Violence

burnt_milk's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.25

Definitely need to read the second book before I quite know how to talk about this but this was fantastic. The descriptions of family protecting each other against a society that aims to strip them of their essence were powerful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Child death, and Gun violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts