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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
No
This was not an easy read at times, very emotional but it was also filled with hope and healing. The love between the characters and their families and communities beckons you to keep reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Murder
challenging
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can’t believe I haven’t seen this book around more! I really enjoyed the story and I feel it will open a lot of eye. I feel the subject matter is important.
Quill is a young Native American wife and mother whose training to run the Boston Marathon. She and her family live on the Red Pine Reservation near Duluth MN. While running in the woods a few miles from home , she hears a young woman's ear piercing scream that immediately scares her. When she brings her husband Crow to the area where she heard the scream , all she finds is an earring. Quill then takes matters into her own hands when she uncovers that a young Native American woman has gone missing. She begins to suspect the woman was taken by the white men from mine camps that have popped up in the area to house pipeline workers. Along with her two friends Punk and Gaylin they have gone tired of the kidnapped and trafficked, the missing and murdered Indigenous women who never get the attention the white woman get and are determined to find the truth. When someone else disappears. In her quest to find justice for the women of the reservation, she is confronted with the hard truths of their home and the people who purport to serve them. When will she stop losing neighbors, friends, family? The novel asks searing questions about bystander culture, the reverberations of even one act of crime, and the long-lasting trauma of being invisible.
Quill is a young Native American wife and mother whose training to run the Boston Marathon. She and her family live on the Red Pine Reservation near Duluth MN. While running in the woods a few miles from home , she hears a young woman's ear piercing scream that immediately scares her. When she brings her husband Crow to the area where she heard the scream , all she finds is an earring. Quill then takes matters into her own hands when she uncovers that a young Native American woman has gone missing. She begins to suspect the woman was taken by the white men from mine camps that have popped up in the area to house pipeline workers. Along with her two friends Punk and Gaylin they have gone tired of the kidnapped and trafficked, the missing and murdered Indigenous women who never get the attention the white woman get and are determined to find the truth. When someone else disappears. In her quest to find justice for the women of the reservation, she is confronted with the hard truths of their home and the people who purport to serve them. When will she stop losing neighbors, friends, family? The novel asks searing questions about bystander culture, the reverberations of even one act of crime, and the long-lasting trauma of being invisible.
dark
mysterious
The stories of MMIW are so important to share, and absolutely heartbreaking that it’s gone on this long.
That said, this book was slow to get to the meat of it, and the characters were infuriating. FMC Quill puts everyone she loves in wildly precarious positions for literally no reason. I get not trusting the police, but to not notice your BFF is missing and to take your kid into those situations is not ok - especially when she has a supportive, loving, and strong partner.
All in, I can’t recommend this one.
That said, this book was slow to get to the meat of it, and the characters were infuriating. FMC Quill puts everyone she loves in wildly precarious positions for literally no reason. I get not trusting the police, but to not notice your BFF is missing and to take your kid into those situations is not ok - especially when she has a supportive, loving, and strong partner.
All in, I can’t recommend this one.
Thank you to Marcie R. Rendon, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Bantam, and NetGalley for and eARC of Where They last Saw Her.
I absolutely loved this book. Reading about missing and murdered indigenous women is incredibly eye opening and also heart wrenching. Rendon brought this to life with her writing and is helping to bring awareness to such a devastating situation.
There were definitely beautiful moments in this book. I enjoyed reading about Native American culture and traditions and could also feel the sense of community through the author's words. Quill, Punk, and Gaylyn's friendship and love for one another was a driving force for the story line, but more than that was Quill's determination to not let her friend become a statistic. It was both frustrating and also touching to see Quill putting herself in danger time and time again in order to find and protect her friend and the other women in her community.
It was truly scary to picture the situations these women were put in. After reading this book I had to do my own research and was shocked to learn that as of 2019, nearly 40% of women who experience human trafficking identify as Native American. It is even scarier to think that situations like those in this book are the reality for these women.
I would definitely recommend this book, but would recommend caution to anyone who is sensitive to topics of murder, kidnapping or sexual assault.
4/5 stars.
I absolutely loved this book. Reading about missing and murdered indigenous women is incredibly eye opening and also heart wrenching. Rendon brought this to life with her writing and is helping to bring awareness to such a devastating situation.
There were definitely beautiful moments in this book. I enjoyed reading about Native American culture and traditions and could also feel the sense of community through the author's words. Quill, Punk, and Gaylyn's friendship and love for one another was a driving force for the story line, but more than that was Quill's determination to not let her friend become a statistic. It was both frustrating and also touching to see Quill putting herself in danger time and time again in order to find and protect her friend and the other women in her community.
It was truly scary to picture the situations these women were put in. After reading this book I had to do my own research and was shocked to learn that as of 2019, nearly 40% of women who experience human trafficking identify as Native American. It is even scarier to think that situations like those in this book are the reality for these women.
I would definitely recommend this book, but would recommend caution to anyone who is sensitive to topics of murder, kidnapping or sexual assault.
4/5 stars.
Set on a reservation outside of Deluth, Quill and her 2 best friends are deeply troubled and impacted by the history of violence towards Indigenous Women.
Surrounded by “working camps” that employ and host men of all backgrounds it’s no secret that Indigenous Women often become the victims of trafficking, and physical and drug abuse as a result. One night while at home with her family, Quill hears a disturbing scream from a woman in the woods near her home. The sound was so terrifying that it led her to investigate who and what happened to the woman.
Punk marches to the beat of her drum and while she’s concerned about what’s happening to the women around her, she’s found a new love interest and is devoting all of her time to him. Gaylyn’s home life is a mess but she’s determined to help Quill find out who’s responsible for the missing women.
As the friends dig deeper, they soon uncover danger and eventually have to take justice into their own hands once they figure out who’s responsible for the crimes,
This is a dark, yet beautiful look at life on a reservation and the impacts of years of generational trauma.
Quill is dedicated beyond words, almost to the detriment of her own life and family but she’s also the kind of friend and advocate everyone needs.
Overall an excellent, well-written narrative.
This book has themes of violence, mentions of sexual assault, and kidnapping- please check triggers.
Thank you Penguin Random House for the ARC copy.
Surrounded by “working camps” that employ and host men of all backgrounds it’s no secret that Indigenous Women often become the victims of trafficking, and physical and drug abuse as a result. One night while at home with her family, Quill hears a disturbing scream from a woman in the woods near her home. The sound was so terrifying that it led her to investigate who and what happened to the woman.
Punk marches to the beat of her drum and while she’s concerned about what’s happening to the women around her, she’s found a new love interest and is devoting all of her time to him. Gaylyn’s home life is a mess but she’s determined to help Quill find out who’s responsible for the missing women.
As the friends dig deeper, they soon uncover danger and eventually have to take justice into their own hands once they figure out who’s responsible for the crimes,
This is a dark, yet beautiful look at life on a reservation and the impacts of years of generational trauma.
Quill is dedicated beyond words, almost to the detriment of her own life and family but she’s also the kind of friend and advocate everyone needs.
Overall an excellent, well-written narrative.
This book has themes of violence, mentions of sexual assault, and kidnapping- please check triggers.
Thank you Penguin Random House for the ARC copy.
emotional
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
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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
Spoilers!
I really loved this book. I wish we had gotten a happy ending but it was very realistic to how things really turn out, unfortunately. I had a lot of empathy for Quil's trauma responses and enjoyed the vigilante aspect because sometimes you really do need to do what you you gotta to get things done,
whether that's a protest or looking out for each other.
I really loved this book. I wish we had gotten a happy ending but it was very realistic to how things really turn out, unfortunately. I had a lot of empathy for Quil's trauma responses and enjoyed the vigilante aspect because sometimes you really do need to do what you you gotta to get things done,
whether that's a protest or looking out for each other.