Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

68 reviews

leahjanespeare's review against another edition

4.0

Wow, a very important but pretty brutal read. It's that near-future that we can't really call dystopian nowadays because so many similar events have happened in real life now. It is a boy's pov which I didn't expect going in (these days there aren't as many out there) and it wasn't my favorite, but the story is really about survival and community, so there were a lot of other elements I did like. I say 'like' but wow are there a lot of disturbing things here. Just make sure to check general trigger warnings before diving in - any Indigenous history is going to be 'hard' to read, but as a white person I think it is my responsibility to be aware of the history (or in this case slightly-ficitonal history). It's basically an extension to the horrible history of Indian boarding schools, something both Canada and the US love to keep burying. Anyway, I recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, and Genocide

Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, and Rape

lzaz87's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Sexual violence

rachelfayreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Violence, Racism, Kidnapping, Genocide, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Rape, and Murder

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

lyssthericeball's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I really enjoyed reading this. I can see how others would not (there were some aspects that had me questioning, such as the romance between the narrator and a supporting character), but overall this was a 4.5 ⭐️ read, if not a 5 ⭐️ read.

I believe that this book is not meant to have a fully closed conclusion. The arc of the book does not operate like the arc of other YA dystopian/post-apocalyptic books. Instead, we are witness to the lives of Indigenous youth, new adults, and Elders on the run, as we learn their coming to stories, who they meet along the way, and the loss not only in the moment but also in the years being on the run.

I questioned French being the narrator, but ultimately he proved that not all of narration needs to be “do do do”: it is also learning, observing, synthesizing, building trust.

I bawled like a baby at the end. It was really lovely, the last few chapters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Trafficking, War, Genocide, and Racism

charrlee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.0

When I opened The Marrow Thieves, it was definitely not the type of book I was anticipating. That being said, I really enjoyed the read! Cherie Dimaline has utilized her book to break open the lid on a very important conversation: what does means to have Indigenous futurity? Specifically, the implementation of Anishinabee (often referred to as "the language" in the book) throughout the book really held my attention. As I read The Marrow Thieves I found myself reflecting on Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass, and I believe there is an important dialogue that can be had when connecting these two texts. After all, there is much to learn from the land and the language, and The Marrow Thieves will tell you that much.

Dimaline's book is extremely moving: from (found) family, reconnection to roots, and navigation through loss, there is truly so much to gain from reading her work. Though perhaps, what is most bone chilling about this book, is that we already know this story; it has happened before. Additionally, I found the read especially challenging because it made me rethink my definition of apocalypse. In a world that is all to eerily similar to our own, Dimaline makes you confront the fact that the apocalypse has already occurred, is continuing to occur, and will occur -- simultaneously, and specifically against Indigenous people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Racism, and Genocide

Moderate: Kidnapping, Body horror, and Violence

Minor: Trafficking and Child death

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.

obscurepages's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective tense slow-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

Wow wow wow. I think I have goosebumps 😭 This was an incredible book. It's both harrowing and compelling, this is a story you won't forget soon.

There's something so visceral and melancholic in the writing style, but there's also the tiniest bits of humor and I love that. I also love how this book is just filled with hope and love, just as much as it's filled with grief. It speaks so much of what humans have done to the environment (since their world is now broken because of global warming) and other people (the way Native Americans are being hunted). Language and culture is a big part of this story too and it is beautifully profound.

Overall, an such an incredible story. Glad I was able to discover and read this book!

(Lots of CWs for this one tho please take care of yourselves. CW: residential schools, violence, colonial trauma, racism, genocide, death, grief, torture, sexual assault, pedophilia, injuries) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Murder, Violence, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Colonisation, and Torture

Moderate: Genocide, Violence, and Grief

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

sarahemhavens's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense

4.0

Many tears shed over this book, incredible imagery, and a heartbreaking storyline. Loved the ending

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Death, Colonisation, Violence, Grief, Forced institutionalization, and Murder