Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius

7 reviews

jayisreading's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

I know very little about Sámi culture, so this novel ended up being really insightful in learning more about modern Sámi life and the discrimination they face in Swedish society. Laestadius presented a number of nuanced situations for the Sámi community in her novel, such as the challenges of upholding tradition in a time of modernization, generational trauma, as well as gender roles (especially as a reindeer herder). Importantly, though, Laestadius is concerned with exploring the tensions between the Sámi community and non-Sámi community, particularly when dealing with law enforcement. The message is a little heavy-handed, which is that it’s clear she wants to draw attention to the injustices that indigenous peoples face when dealing with authoritative figures.

Structurally, I admit that I had some difficulty getting into this one. I don’t know if it was the particularly short chapters or what, but I was a bit thrown off by the overall pacing of the novel. I think another thing that didn’t quite work for me was that, while situations were explored with nuance, many of the characters themselves lacked complexity. I did feel that Laestadius set the reader up for a good versus evil story with how the characters were depicted. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this, it did make everything read as somewhat reductive.

One last thing I would add is that this novel is definitely not one for those who get squeamish about animal cruelty and death, as Laestadius does not shy away from describing the horrific killing of reindeer, also adding considerable emotional depth in losing them, especially since reindeer are more than “just animals” in Sámi culture.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Grief, Racism, and Hate crime

Moderate: Suicide, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Bullying

Minor: Car accident

geerbeer's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

Heftige omschrijvingen, maar wauw! Voor iemand die de cultuur niet kent is het ontzettend leerzaam en je voelt enorm mee met de personages en dieren in het boek. Elke keer was ik weer in 'awe' over hoe mensen toch prachtig in verbinding kunnen staan met de aarde, haar flora en fauna en al zo snel zien dat het klimaat naar de klote gaat. Ontzettend mooi!

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Content Warnings

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

kelly_e's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious slow-paced

• 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

Title: Stolen
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

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Content Warnings

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

drowning

nialiversuch's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

vixenreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

As important as it is gripping, this book sums up what it means to advocate for yourself, your culture, your mental health, and your own land without wallowing into sentimentality. 

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Content Warnings

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.

magneto's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Dementia, and Death

Minor: Car accident

bodiesinbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, and Sexism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence

Minor: Car accident, Fatphobia, Medical content, and Xenophobia