Reviews with content warning for Rape - There There

I was immediately drawn into this story of Natives preparing for and traveling to a powwow in Oakland, CA. The short chapters from multiple perspectives, the interesting characters, and the different voices held my attention throughout. The writing was beautiful and I paused so many times to think about phrases and ideas included. The chapters could almost stand alone as short stories rather than a whole book. I especially liked the chapter from Thomas Frank’s POV. Unlike some reviewers, I found the non-linear framing and the unresolved ending added to the experience of reading. The characters and storylines connect together in this beautiful, fragile, spider’s web. While violent and crude at times, I felt like I was getting a truthful look at the lives of these characters, a perspective not unlike the documentary that Dene Oxendene is filming in the book. The content was dense and emotional, and there were a couple of times when I wondered, “is there a message or point I’m missing?,” as if parts were going over my head. But, to be clear, I didn’t feel that way out of the author’s pretension at all. There were also moments I had to flip back and forth trying to remember character names and how each was related to another, which only made me want to reread it slower and more intentionally, mapping the plot and family tree.

The bottom line: A tragic and beautiful story that’s kind of like Motown music, which one of Orange’s characters says, “asks you to carry sadness and heartbreak but dance while doing so.”

— NOTES —

Genres: literary fiction

POV: multiple, some in first, some in third

Content: an abundance – drug use, gun violence, domestic violence, alcoholism, rape (off-page), strong language

— MY RATING CONSIDERATIONS

(all out of 5)

Pace: 5

Enjoyment: 4

Craft: 5

My Gut Feeling: 5
Total Stars: 4.75

Content Warnings

cheazcakeguy's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This was a powerful read. Tommy Orange's writing feels like there's a real weight behind it with every sentence. It forces you to slow down at times and really reflect on the characters and their stories. You experience the full range of human emotion while reading this book, and there were several truly gut-wrenching moments, especially at the end. The ending

was shocking yet inevitable, and I can't stop thinking about the incredible metaphor of the spider's web, both a home and a trap, which brought the characters together...

Highly recommend, though this isn't a light read and it will tear your heart out.

Content Warnings

caitmariereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

marissasa's review

Go to review page

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I always love a story where we get multiples POVs, and especially if they are people whose individual narratives all connect to each other by the end. This book delivered that along with a lot of emotional and heavy truths about Native Americans' experiences in the past and in the modern time. The essays in the beginning really set the tone for the book and leave you breathless. I liked the exploration of many different themes in this book, with a big emphasis on identity, family ties, and participating in your culture. While all these things were done well and the buildup to the ending was anxiety-filled and tense as intended, the book was also on the short side which resulted in a lot of the 12 characters who were given a POV not getting as much development as they could've. Some were fleshed out and we got to dive in and hear their backstories, while others felt more like a toe dip in the pool only getting to the surface level. Regardless, this book will keep you engaged and make you feel things while learning about life for the indigenous people who live in a land that is theirs but also stolen from them.

Content Warnings

jamiejanae_6's review

Go to review page

sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

More...