Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

4 reviews

cepbreed's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? No

4.5

“It began as a rumor, that they had found a way to siphon the dreams right out of our bones, a rumor whispered every time one of us went missing, a rumor denounced every time their doctors sent us to hospitals and treatments centers never to return.”

 

So much about this book is traumatizing, it’s so hard to read. I say that, but no matter how evil the atrocities translated onto the paper I couldn't stop reading because of how beautifully Cherie Dimaline writes. Each coming-to story makes my heart physically ache, I feel like I know these characters and each of their lives is so personal to me. Thank you Dimaline for bringing them to life on these pages. I also loved having chapter titles. I feel like so many books forego them these days in favor of just the name of the POV character or nothing at all. Another element essential to the story and my enjoyment of it was all the foreshadowing. While in the dilapidated Four Winds the women of their group tell their stories, all of which are a dark premonition of the events of the following days. Those moments were harrowing. I love how Dimalinen made sure to highlight the voices of those women, and bring awareness to the mistreatment many like them suffer because of their presenting gender. The class on indigenous fiction that I read this book for has opened my eyes entirely to a whole new genre of books. I am unsure if I would've enjoyed this book as much as I did if I read it outside of a classroom context because my professor always offers very valuable insight on certain indigenous traditions that enriched the books meaning. For example the legend of the rougarou and its application to Minerva's story.

 

Minerva being taken absolutely killed me. This kind woman, understand her old age hindered their progress. She trusted in the younger generation to survive and sacrificed everything for them. I don’t have to see my own Harmoni in her to absolutely love the character but I do and it makes me all the more sad to see the consequences of her age. In the same way she is wise and essential to the survival of their culture her health is rapidly deteriorating. I dismissed her character before but now I admire her so much, one scene changed everything for me.

 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Violence, Trafficking, and Misogyny

Minor: Pregnancy

mooncxrx's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Gun violence, Genocide, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Murder, and Kidnapping

Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, Addiction, and Sexual assault

anxiousnachos's review against another edition

dark

4.25

Wow, this was an incredible read. The language and prose itself is genuinely stunning, so so evocative, I am in love with the way Cherie Dimaline writes description. Inspired by the history of colonial trauma and residential schools in Canada, it does have a lot of very horrifying and chilling content, but it also has moments of hope, laughter with family and friends, beauty and dreams. 

Content warnings: violence, blood, gore, eye injury, rape, kidnapping, residential schools, colonial trauma, racism, nonconsensual medical experimentation, torture, pedophilia, death, murder, death of parent, death of loved one, death of child 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Death, Genocide, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Blood, Child death, Grief, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, and Torture

offbrandclubsoda's review

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad 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? No

5.0

I absolutely loved this book! It is beautifully written and kept me engaged the whole time. The world-building and story telling is excellent. Cannot recommend enough!

Spice level: 🌶.5/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Genocide, Grief, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Torture

Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Suicide, and Vomit

Content warning: Residential Schools