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annasusan's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Dementia, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Colonisation
Moderate: Gore, Sexism, Confinement, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse
geerbeer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Miscarriage, Blood, Bullying, Grief, Gun violence, Dementia, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Racism, Alcohol, Death, Addiction, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Minor: Grief, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Violence
cariboukai'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Dementia, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Hate crime
Minor: Suicide
valodniece'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
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Xenophobia, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Grief, Gun violence, Sexism, Gaslighting, Suicide, Violence, Death, Suicide attempt, Blood, Hate crime, and Suicidal thoughts
kelly_e'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? No
4.25
Author: Ann-Helén Laestadius
Series: Sapmitrilogin #1
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: January 31, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Quiet • Compelling • Cinematic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
It is winter, north of the Arctic Circle. A few hours of pale light is all the sun has to offer before the landscape is once more enveloped in complete darkness. This is Sápmi, land of the Sámi, Scandinavia’s Indigenous people.
Nine-year-old Elsa is the daughter of Sámi reindeer herders. Her community is under constant threat—from the Swedish population who don’t always value the Sámi way of life, from the government that wants to claim their land for mining, and from violent poachers who slaughter their reindeer for sport and for sale on the black market.
One morning, when Elsa goes skiing alone, she witnesses a man brutally killing her beloved reindeer calf. Elsa is terrified by what she sees. Fearing for her own life and for the lives of her family members, she remains silent.
Ten years pass, and Elsa is now trying to claim a role for herself in her community, where male elders expect young women to know their place. Meanwhile, the hostility toward the Sámi continues to escalate, and the police won’t do anything to protect them. When Elsa becomes the target of the man who killed her reindeer calf all those years ago, something inside of her breaks. The guilt, fear, and anger she’s been carrying since childhood come crashing over her, leading to a final catastrophic confrontation.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I selected Stolen as my February 2023 book of the month for my personal project, because it sounded like the ideal winter read and I knew I would learn something new. Unfortunately, I never got around to reading it until nearly a year later.
Told in three distinct sections, this novel is part coming-of-age story, part family saga, and part
ode to the Sámi people. Beautifully written in atmospheric tones, the pacing is slow, mirroring the traditional way of life, making it the perfect quiet winter read. I learned about Indigenous culture, but the author also opened my eyes to the discrimination inflicted on the Sámi people by both the general population, as well as, the police. It's another excellent portrait of the injustices and failings of systems put in place to protect the people. There is also a subtle commentary on the threat of climate change.
Elsa is a strong, independent female character, and I was along for her journey. I wanted her to succeed, and loved how was so sure of her hopes for her future. The internal debates she goes through in finding who she is, is an aspect I greatly appreciated getting.
Originally written in Swedish, the English translation is very well done. I never once felt like the emotional tone was lacking, and there is more explanations when needed to truly understand what the author is trying to say. If I didn't already know, I'd have never picked up that it was translated.
Stolen is based on the real lived experiences of the Sámi people and their reindeer herds, yet this is a fictionalized account. It was an uncomfortable read, containing gruesome detailed descriptions of animal cruelty and blatant injustice. But it was also an empowering, well-thought out story. I have recently learned it will be coming to Netflix in 2024, so I will be on the look out for that. There is also a follow up, published in 2023, which I am hoping will eventually be translated as well.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of Katherena Vermette
• readers who like translated works
Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Gore, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Gun violence
Minor: Car accident, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
drowningnialiversuch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Dementia, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Death, Gore, Grief, Racism, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Sexism
mweis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I usually don’t put a lot of faith in comp titles, but in this case calling Stolen “Louise Erdrich meets Jo Nesbø” is very accurate. The book follows Elsa, a Sámi girl and who witnesses the murder of her reindeer when at the start of the book. As the plot continues we see the struggle of the Sámi people as they battle racism and hate crimes and climate change and other factors that are threatening their way of life. While Elsa is the main character, we do get chapters from other POVs including of the man who is torturing and killing reindeer so major trigger warning for animal cruelty here as there are some graphic depictions.
I think what this book does well is immerses the reader into the Sámi way of life and the struggles they face due to the other people’s hatred, an indifferent police and government, climate change, and more. The writing is also very immersive and well suited to such a bleak story. That being said, the pacing of this was off for me. That might be because I came in expecting more of a mystery plot, but we know from the beginning who the culprit is, so the book is more of a family saga than a mystery. But even after I readjusted my expectations, there were places where the story dragged for me.
Overall, I’m glad I read this book and I do recommend it if you’re in the mood for a fairly bleak family saga centering a Sámi community.
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Xenophobia, Animal death, and Racism
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Death, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Suicide
vixenreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Death, Bullying, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Animal death, and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, Alcoholism, Classism, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Sexism, Stalking, Dementia, and Addiction
Minor: Car accident, Miscarriage, and Vomit
Be wary of police negligence, slander, school yard fights, property damage, adults threatening children, an attempt at a home invasion, funerals, and PTSD.linnypesto'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Suicide, Alcoholism, and Mental illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
carinaantonia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide, Bullying, Death, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Gun violence, Racism, Alcoholism, Blood, Colonisation, Mental illness, Murder, Police brutality, and Physical abuse