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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcoholism
“This is the thing: if you have the option to not think about or even consider history, whether you learned it right or not, or whether it even deserves consideration, that’s how you know you’re on board the ship that serves hors d’oeuvres and fluffs your pillows, while others are out at sea, swimming or drowning, or clinging to little inflatable rafts that they have to take turns keeping inflated, people short of breath, who’ve never even heard of the words hors d’oeuvres or fluff”
There were a lot of characters in this book, and while I did have some trouble keeping track of how they were all interconnected, I still loved each of their stories. They were funny, inspiring, heartbreaking, and tragic, but they were so real. Even in moments when someone had questionable motives or was making the wrong decision, I still found myself feeling so much for them because of the complexities of what led them to those moments. I really appreciated the prologue and the interlude for all the new information I learned. Despite being written in a different style than the story, that insertion of factual history feels so appropriate alongside these fictional stories because they are so deeply based in reality. Tommy Orange did a fantastic job of doing justice to each person’s story and keeping their individual personalities at the center of their chapters. I would read a whole book about any one of the characters from this one.
There were a lot of characters in this book, and while I did have some trouble keeping track of how they were all interconnected, I still loved each of their stories. They were funny, inspiring, heartbreaking, and tragic, but they were so real. Even in moments when someone had questionable motives or was making the wrong decision, I still found myself feeling so much for them because of the complexities of what led them to those moments. I really appreciated the prologue and the interlude for all the new information I learned. Despite being written in a different style than the story, that insertion of factual history feels so appropriate alongside these fictional stories because they are so deeply based in reality. Tommy Orange did a fantastic job of doing justice to each person’s story and keeping their individual personalities at the center of their chapters. I would read a whole book about any one of the characters from this one.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I did not think I was going to love this book anywhere near as much as I did. It was a risk for Tommy Orange that paid off. Can't wait to read more from him. Ugh, my heart is ripped out.
I borrowed this from the library in the interim between another book I was waiting on and one I just finished. I’ve never heard of it or the author, and yet this book was excellent in all regards. It reminds me heavily of The Hate U Give, but focusing on Indian culture (that is American Indian) rather than Black culture, and I would say it is just as good. I enjoyed it thoroughly. The only thing I felt would have been interesting wild have been to see a Indian law enforcement officer have a story thread throughout the intertwining stories - but that’s really not even a complaint at all, just something I thought would be interesting.
At first, it looked like each chapter consisted of a short story, and that this book had a series of short stories. Later on in the book, it became clear they were all intertwined. It was also probably the first time I felt the need to write notes (a character/story map) to help me navigate through a story and to connect the characters. This book shows how urban native Americans exist and have their own lifestyles/experiences which are not what people usually assume about them. In the story, characters are attending a powwow in Oakland, California and something tragic happens. The ending pretty much concludes with leaving the readers hanging and pondering a few things. I learned plenty new things I had no idea about like the time Native Americans activists lived on Alcatraz, and the reason why teddy bears are called teddy bears. Read this for a book club and am very much looking forward to having a dialogue on this!
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
I love love love this book so much. Tommy Orange is really a literary genius. To preface, I did have to read this for English class in high school, but it only heightened the experience as we got to chat through all the little things Orange does, his use of symbols, syntax, characterization. I really wanted the message to be clear (to write an easy essay), but Orange won't allow readers to simplify the Native American experience any more than it has been. On an entirely different level, it's also just a great book to read! All the characters are so crushingly realistic. Really, the last few chapters were so heart wrenchingly beautiful. Man, I love this book.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes