Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

7 reviews

paperbacks_n_frybread's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Torture, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Grief, Animal death, Violence, and Racial slurs

tales_told_in_gold's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

It was the title that caught my eye - immediately, I wondered, "who's out here stealing bones?" 

Starting off as a random find at the library, "The Marrow Thieves" ended up being a layered emotional journey loaded with enough sucker-punch twists to make my heart ache. The narrative voice that Dimaline weaves into her characters is truly a skill to admire. She makes you feel like you're sitting right there beside them, listening to their stories as they captivate you with memorable tales of love and grief and joy and pain. 

We follow the perspective of Frenchie, a teenage boy whose coming-of-age in this world of environmental destruction and cruelest inhumanity towards Indigenous peoples lead him to discover what it means to be a survivor of a rich heritage being systematically targeted by those who seek a cure to their own lost culture. 

How do you hold on to what you have left? How do you regain what's been eradicated? How far would you go to protect your loved ones? 

Give this speculative novel a read if any of those questions intrigued you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Racism, Genocide, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Child death, Racial slurs, Death of parent, and Rape

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

tense fast-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: Violence, Blood, Death, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Child death

Minor: Pregnancy, Alcohol, Genocide, Animal death, Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Colonisation, Addiction, War, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Vomit, Excrement, Gun violence, and Stalking

Residential schools, global warming, pollution, starvation, disease.

eve_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-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

Overall Thoughts:
⁕ My own ties to indigenous culture is very minimal, so I am in NO way an expert or authority on these topics, but my personal opinion (as well as the many reviews from own voices readers on Goodreads, etc.) is that this a great introduction to discussing white supremacy and its impact with younger readers. I wish I had books like this in high school instead of Hatchet and To Kill a Mockingbird.

⁕ We get many of the background characters' "coming to" stories, which provided some context to the state of their dystopian society. I admit that I wanted a little more world-building, but I don't think it was necessary to the plot and overall message Dimaline was trying to get across.

⁕ The ending is such a beautiful display of resiliency and hope. I cried and snotted all over the place when I read it.

To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online/
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Violence, Medical trauma, Medical content, Child death, Grief, Child abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, and Racism

jessthanthree's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Death, and Grief

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

cnohero's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I found this story very dark and heart breaking. I was very well written I just didn't enjoy the plot or storyline. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Child death, Forced institutionalization, and Hate crime

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping

Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, and Sexual content