Reviews

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich

sschmalz's review against another edition

dark 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? No

4.0

frenchfrybri's review against another edition

5.0

i want to say that i hated the ending but i think that it needed to finish like that. i liked the questions it raised about family and the apocalypse was interesting to explore but i liked that it took a backseat to the personal experience of it

kturi's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful sad slow-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

3.75

han_reardonsmith's review against another edition

4.0

This book has some really beautiful moments, along with some heartwrenching ones. Many reviews seem hung up on the handmaid’s tale comparisons, but I found this instead to be a beautiful meditation on complex relationships to religion, adoption, lineage, gender, time, Indigeneity, pregnancy, and depression. The character of Eddy in particular is gloriously moving, the only man of honourable spirit in the book. Rather than a retelling of the handmaid’s tale I find this to be (as the title suggests) something of a “2nd coming of christ” narrative, that holds a possibility of the return of power, agency, Land, and Culture to Native folks (and also not, as, in the case of Cedar/Mary—like so many Native birthers before her, her baby is yet again stolen from her at birth).

The missed opportunity here, imho, is to somewhat more deeply complexify the colonial gender binary and cisheteronormativity, which runs stubbornly deep throughout.

bibliobrandie's review against another edition

2.0

This was a compelling read but in the end, I just didn't like it. Is this supposed to be part of a series? Because so many questions were left unanswered. Like where did Phil go? Where did the baby go? Why didn't her family try to save her again? Why in the world would she go out in public to pray when she was so pregnant? Just why?!

ttodd86's review against another edition

2.0

An intriguing premise but a disappointing book. Cedar Songmaker's pregnancy during a time when evolution has begun to run in what is apparently reverse, sounded so intriguing and interesting -- especially given current events in the real world -- but the delivery missed the mark. The book is Songmaker's letter to the child she is carrying and, as would be expected, the book focuses on the challenges she endures while trying to protect herself and the unborn baby. The problem is, unfolding events have left the protagonist so isolated that you really never know what is going on in the outside world. On one level, I understand that as a comparison to any pregnancy where the focus naturally turns internal and fears of the unknown mount, but the problem is that throughout this book I felt like there were about a million more interesting stories happening in the rest of the world created by this novel that I wanted to read. As Songmaker keeps asking questions, and receives only confusing answers, it begins to feel more like laziness on the part of the author -- the story of anyone Songmaker interacts with would be far more interesting than her perspective. Very disappointing. It avoids being a one-star book because the early part of the book, just as events begin to unfold, was enjoyable.

nancydrewblood's review against another edition

4.0

Good quick read. Left me wanting more though, is there a series coming?

kdahlo's review against another edition

4.0

I ended up liking this book a lot, although I found the start a bit slow and a bit incongruous with how the book turns out. I found the narrator quite interesting, and I enjoyed particularly her fights with her parents which I thought were very nicely observed, the way that habits of attack and defense can emerge suddenly and against the will of the participants. The book picks up a lot in the second and third sections, the book takes a while to build up speed and get going. I definitely want to read more books from this author because I thought the narrator's voice was great, and I would love to see how much of that character was invented, vs. it being a voice that comes through across the works of this author.

I heard of this book from Code Switch, where it was described as a 'pandemic read' because it deals with themes of isolation and apocalypse. Definitely true, and there are some nice parallels between this book and reality that made me giggle. I still found it sufficiently escapist that it wasn't a slog to read.

laurenboys's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

kaitlynlw_04's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective tense medium-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? Yes

5.0