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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
I have a lot of conflicting feelings because MMIW is such an important and often not discussed problem however I was completely underwhelmed with the story. I felt like some parts had unnecessary descriptions of irrelevant things and Quill's involvement bordered on unbelievable to me. I also didn't love the way she had Quill and Gaylen handle Punks coming to terms with her abuse. There's no dialogue of it not being her fault or anything about Punk being the victim. I also kinda hate that you think the whole story is about finding Mabel but that's never resolved.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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:
Complicated
There were some good things in this book … but most if it mostly felt like a developmental editor’s job to fix that inevitably failed at their job
I think the good part was the heart of the novel and the story of Native people. I learned a lot about reservation life and I think that’s the true essence of this book
but… important representation cant be the entire book. Especially if you’re writing a thriller, because this thriller wasnt very … thrilling.
In part because the prose was just … uninteresting. I think had it been written either in first person OR present tense, it would have done so much service to a feeling of tension, because most of the novel is just “she — then she — and she —“
Most of the time the main character was just meandering around, sticking her nose in things she doesn’t really have any business getting into. I understand the message of police not doing anything, but it doesn’t really land when Quill NEVER TRIES SPEAKING TO THE POLICE. Where in good girls guide to murder and other such novels, the mc first tries the police, and is then forced to take it into their own hands.
It paints Crow to be the villain for trying to keep his wife out of danger, but he’s right !! Quill has NO business throwing herself into dangerous situations with no semblance of a plan at all.
Further, there were SO many missed opportunities to make this book more interesting and higher stakes. Her kids are the most important thing in her life ?? MAKE CLIFF KIDNAP THE KIDS ! It would add so many stakes and there was even a perfect opportunity for it to happen IN THE NOVEL? Instead of the other girl being kidnapped from the grocery store … kidnap Baby Boy! Or Niswi! It would be that easy to make this novel more interesting and get you more invested in Quill as a character once she has to deal with her missing child. It also makes it more personal to her, instead of the first 4/5 of the novel being ‘I’m finding Justice for this woman I don’t know and putting myself in dangerous situations because I feel like it’
And even once stuff happened(mind you at the 80% mark for about three (3) scenes), it was so predictable ! I had guessed probably by the 30% mark thatCliff was going to kidnap Punk eventually and the payoff wasn’t even that good
Finally … there was little to no explanation for what River Lone Eagle OR Mabel had to do with ANYTHING AT ALL PLOTWISE. We get no explanation for what the ‘murderer’ had to do with either of them, or whether they were even relevant at all ! We don’t know what happened to Mabel, even at the end, despite being supposedly invested in what happened to her for at least the first half of the novel
Overall, I don’t think it’s a fault of the author. I think whoever was supposed to make developmental edits on this book did a great disservice to what this could have been because nothing that happens makes any impact, and had things been shifted I truly think this could have been far better
I think the good part was the heart of the novel and the story of Native people. I learned a lot about reservation life and I think that’s the true essence of this book
but… important representation cant be the entire book. Especially if you’re writing a thriller, because this thriller wasnt very … thrilling.
In part because the prose was just … uninteresting. I think had it been written either in first person OR present tense, it would have done so much service to a feeling of tension, because most of the novel is just “she — then she — and she —“
Most of the time the main character was just meandering around, sticking her nose in things she doesn’t really have any business getting into. I understand the message of police not doing anything, but it doesn’t really land when Quill NEVER TRIES SPEAKING TO THE POLICE. Where in good girls guide to murder and other such novels, the mc first tries the police, and is then forced to take it into their own hands.
It paints Crow to be the villain for trying to keep his wife out of danger, but he’s right !! Quill has NO business throwing herself into dangerous situations with no semblance of a plan at all.
And even once stuff happened(mind you at the 80% mark for about three (3) scenes), it was so predictable ! I had guessed probably by the 30% mark that
Finally … there was little to no explanation for what River Lone Eagle OR Mabel had to do with ANYTHING AT ALL PLOTWISE. We get no explanation for what the ‘murderer’ had to do with either of them, or whether they were even relevant at all ! We don’t know what happened to Mabel, even at the end, despite being supposedly invested in what happened to her for at least the first half of the novel
Overall, I don’t think it’s a fault of the author. I think whoever was supposed to make developmental edits on this book did a great disservice to what this could have been because nothing that happens makes any impact, and had things been shifted I truly think this could have been far better
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love Marcie Rendon's writing style, pacing, characters, knowledge of the topic.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
This book frustrated me so much, but in the best ways possible if that makes sense. It’ll have you clenching your fists and internally screaming, but it’s so real and raw and true to life. Everyone should read it.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Trafficking, Kidnapping
Minor: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book, while heartbreaking, is an important book to read. The humanization of missing and murdered Native American women is integral to this book. Even though it is fiction, its characters and situation are not fictitious in its possibility.
I loved how the book showed a beautiful, cohesive, and healthy family on a Native American reservation be stretched to the limit by the colonialist and oppressive stressors that the pipeline workers brought to their reservation. It humanized the characters by not focusing on the stereotypes of native peoples but instead contextualizing how they live and react in a humanistic lense.
I think this book caught me at an unfortunate time. I was already kinda sad and upset and reading this book made me even more sad. But this book was important to me to finish and I did at my own pace. I’m really glad I did. The book displays the horrors that have happened to Native American women, the lack of support they receive from the outside, and how resilient and community oriented they are to overcome such trauma.
I loved how the book showed a beautiful, cohesive, and healthy family on a Native American reservation be stretched to the limit by the colonialist and oppressive stressors that the pipeline workers brought to their reservation. It humanized the characters by not focusing on the stereotypes of native peoples but instead contextualizing how they live and react in a humanistic lense.
I think this book caught me at an unfortunate time. I was already kinda sad and upset and reading this book made me even more sad. But this book was important to me to finish and I did at my own pace. I’m really glad I did. The book displays the horrors that have happened to Native American women, the lack of support they receive from the outside, and how resilient and community oriented they are to overcome such trauma.
While I enjoyed the plot of this book and grew to really like the character of Quill, I tend to enjoy faster paced books. If you like a book that really focuses on character development, you’d like this read. It was definitely an interesting read and Quill’s drive for justice is inspiring.