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sydneylount's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Child abuse, Racism, Violence, Child death, Death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexism, Death of parent, and Rape
kimmykelly's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Moderate: Genocide, Emotional abuse, Rape, Death of parent, Grief, Drug use, Cultural appropriation, Gun violence, Racism, Death, and Domestic abuse
cheazcakeguy's review
- 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
Highly recommend, though this isn't a light read and it will tear your heart out.
Graphic: Gore, Mass/school shootings, Blood, Violence, Colonisation, Death, Genocide, and Gun violence
Moderate: Mental illness, Car accident, Addiction, Death of parent, Suicide, Cancer, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, and Grief
Minor: Self harm, Animal death, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Child death, Rape, Racism, and Sexual assault
la_licia33's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Addiction, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
caitmariereads'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Mass/school shootings, Alcoholism, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction and Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape, Misogyny, and Death of parent
marissasa's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Death, Mass/school shootings, Alcoholism, Suicide, Death of parent, Excrement, Sexual assault, Child death, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Car accident, Blood, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Domestic abuse
withlivjones'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Racism, Animal death, Blood, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide
ridern2002'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? It's complicated
3.0
Moderate: Drug use, Genocide, Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Car accident, Body shaming, Alcohol, Gun violence, Addiction, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, Grief, and Drug abuse
caittothelin's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Death of parent, and Cancer
Moderate: Suicide and Rape
dinipandareads's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
This isn't an easy book to review and there's nothing I can say that others haven't already said and done so much better than I ever could, too. This is a highly-lauded piece of literary fiction and part of me understands why but maybe this book was just too smart for me because I often struggled to really "get" it. I empathised with many of the characters and I wound up spilling tears over them by the end but, at times, it was hard to feel fully immersed in the story and to grasp what the author was trying to share. Perhaps it was the writing style that also didn't entirely work for me as we switched from third-person and first-person perspectives almost every other chapter. Add to that the wide array of characters and shifting timelines as we get their life stories from childhood to adulthood, and it wasn't always easy to keep track of who's who and what's what. That said, I loved seeing how each character's life intersects with another and I think Orange masterfully weaves together the fabric of their stories to create one big, captivating, yet heartbreaking tapestry.
Although the novel discusses the beauty, pride and fortitude of the native community, it is not a happy story. It explores weighty subjects including race, colonialism, intergenerational trauma, identity and belonging, mental health, abuse, and addiction. There is a lot of power behind the author's writing and although each character's narrative was difficult to read it also emphasised the need and importance of their stories being heard. Some of the quotes in this hit so hard and I think one of them sums this story up rather perfectly:
“The tragedy of it all will be unspeakable, the fact we’ve been fighting for decades to be recognized as a present-tense people, modern and relevant, alive, only to die in the grass wearing feathers.”
How utterly devastating. 🥺
Ultimately, while it wasn't always smooth sailing, I'm glad that I didn't give up on this because it was rewarding to work through. I can see why it's so well-loved and I'm glad to have finally read it. I don't doubt that although it may not feel like it right now, this will be a story I'll continue to think about long after I put it back on the shelf.
Graphic: Racism, Physical abuse, Death, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Colonisation, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Addiction