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vezreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Colonisation
whoisajax's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
WHY: Was a bookclub chosen book last year that I didn't get around to but wanted to.
THOUGHTS: Intense! Historical fiction with TW of racism, murder and violence.
It has some serious powerful meanings and just a reminder of how humans can treat each other.
I will be thinking about this novel for years.
RECOMMENDED: Those who are interested in historical fiction, colonisation, and just stories with powerful symbolism
Graphic: Racial slurs, Gun violence, Colonisation, Racism, and Violence
bookishcori's review against another edition
3.75
The writing itself was just okay; lots of repetitive phrases. I’ve read the authors’ later novels and this isn’t an issue anymore.
I still really enjoyed this.
Graphic: Colonisation and Racism
avisreadsandreads's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Grief, Violence, War, Death, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Genocide, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Alcohol
Minor: Cultural appropriation and Vomit
dellydoos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The first half of this book was straightforward, and if I’m being honest, a little slow. However, I think this is to the novel's strength. As a reader with little background of this book before I went in, I already had a preconceived idea about what the story would be about. And I’m glad to say my expectations were greatly subverted. Come the midway mark, right at the end of Chapter Nine, Coleman expertly delivers a subtle little twist. A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment that genuinely had me rereading three times over to check I had read the passage right. And the power of this twist–wow, it was so small, and it hardly affected the plot at all; and yet it changed everything.
I found the second half to be so much more engaging than the first half. The setting was more interesting, and the stakes were even higher. However, despite its strengths, I found the book to be lacking in some areas. The pacing was uneven, and the world-building felt underdeveloped, leaving me with questions about the broader context of the story. Additonally, with so little time spent between so many characters I was left feeling some of them were underdeveloped.
However, this book still raises important questions about identity, belonging, and power. About the horrors of colonialism, of genocide and the erasure of culture. Coleman’s ability to humanise this experience is one of the book's greatest strengths, making it a valuable contribution to the ongoing dialogue about reconciliation and reparations in Australia. This book was both sad and painful, but definitely worth reading. 3.5/5 stars.
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Torture, Child abuse, Genocide, and Child death
gzevs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Forced institutionalization, War, and Colonisation
bigpansies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Slavery, War, Racism, Police brutality, Classism, Physical abuse, Grief, Forced institutionalization, and Colonisation
s_h_a_z_z_a's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death and Colonisation
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Sexual violence and Alcoholism
sharpreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Slavery, Cultural appropriation, Gun violence, Hate crime, Death, Racism, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Colonisation, Torture, and Violence
sailortrash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Colonisation, Child death, Child abuse, Blood, Slavery, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Genocide, Racism, Death, Physical abuse, Murder, and Confinement