Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Marrow Thieves

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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mooncxrx's review against another edition

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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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couldyounot's review against another edition

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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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kaiyakaiyo's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.75

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eve_reads's review against another edition

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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.

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alexalily's review against another edition

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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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rorikae's review against another edition

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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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morganpearcy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

This is Dystopian Speculative Fiction written by an Indigenous author about Indigenous peoples after the climate crisis reaches a point where the world shuts down and most everything dies. Indigenous peoples all over the world are being hunted by white folx to harvest their bone marrow so that white folx (who have lost the ability to dream and are dying in droves) can dream again and survive.

One of the reasons why I love Dystopian Speculative Fiction so much is because I personally find it profoundly hopeful - the kind of thing I read when I need my faith in humanity restored. This book has moved me in so many ways. I couldn’t put it down. It explores what it is to be human. What it is to survive - and empathy. There are some really good topics explored, including:

- Creating your family of choice.
- Caring for an aging Elder.
- Protecting children to let them be kids for as long as possible.
- Humanity and the motivations of those who have lost theirs.
- Community repair and harm reduction, even when the world is burning down.
- What it means to have enough.

Highly recommend. Very applicable to today. This book is such a joy to read, and such a great exploration of indigeneity and our humanity.

Be prepared with a box of tissues. And TW for chapter, “Wab’s Coming-To Story” for sexual assault. Surprisingly, handled delicately - but still very triggering.

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