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boothdwellerbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.5
Virgil Wounded Horse is an off the books enforcer for hire on the Rosebud Indian Reservation scraping a living together by taking action against lowlifes when the police can’t (or won’t) help. The story follows Virgil as he begins to investigate and then gets mixed up in plans to start moving hard drugs on the reservation. The entire time he is constantly navigating his personal relationships and where he fits in the community. This book was a really great blend of mystery, introspection, history, and connections. Virgil is an honest and very human narrator and I was very drawn into his world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Drug use
lklitup's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden is an epic crime adventure following Virgil Wounded Horse of the Lakota Rosebud Reservation. As a “hired thug,” he enacts violent justice amongst wrongdoers who have been let go or ignored by the tribal police and/or federal authorities. His nephew, Nathan, becomes immeshed with one of Virgil’s targets, and Virgil comes to learn the dangerous, underhanded world of drugs and reservation politics.
The story in this book was absolutely enthralling, and I anxiously read through each new turn of events. I became invested in the well-being of the reservation, and I credit that to Marie’s character and the cultural information woven throughout. I wish there had been more, although the author gives some insight as to that decision in the acknowledgements. Virgil is a prototypical anti-hero whose decision to shirk his culture is belief by the sense of duty to his neighbors (albeit for his financial gain). His love for Nathan and his desire to do right made me root for him along his way.
My main gripe with this novel is its swift resolution within the last 15-20 pages. So much information is discovered, so many loose ends are quickly tied. The rest of the book was a well-built, well-maintained slow burn, so I thought the end had come too quickly. Additionally, some of the violence, while central to Virgil, was graphic to the point I needed to skim.
The story in this book was absolutely enthralling, and I anxiously read through each new turn of events. I became invested in the well-being of the reservation, and I credit that to Marie’s character and the cultural information woven throughout. I wish there had been more, although the author gives some insight as to that decision in the acknowledgements. Virgil is a prototypical anti-hero whose decision to shirk his culture is belief by the sense of duty to his neighbors (albeit for his financial gain). His love for Nathan and his desire to do right made me root for him along his way.
My main gripe with this novel is its swift resolution within the last 15-20 pages. So much information is discovered, so many loose ends are quickly tied. The rest of the book was a well-built, well-maintained slow burn, so I thought the end had come too quickly. Additionally, some of the violence, while central to Virgil, was graphic to the point I needed to skim.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Drug use, and Death of parent
Minor: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, and Suicide
lairofbooks's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, Rape, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
literaryelephant's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This is a great crime novel with a bit of mystery and a heavy focus on the complexity of being part of a Native community in modern USA. What it lacks in subtlety it makes up for in heart, providing through strong characterization both a thought-provoking and entertaining read. Highly recommend to crime novel fans, and especially to those new to Indigenous work, whom I think will find this an easy and engaging introduction to commentary on Native (specifically Lakota) life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Bullying
bookswhitme's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Kidnapping, and Grief
Minor: Fatphobia
kachina's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I don’t wanna give this a bad star rating but idk I felt like I had some qualms w this book.
As a fellow white Indigenous (and Oceti Sakowin) relative, I just felt like so much of this book played into strange colonizer stereotypes.
Something in the spirit of it felt...off. I think there’s a lot of nuanced discourse around whiteness and Indigeneity, and a lot of uncomfortable learning, too.
So much of this felt like a white Native pity fest. Not to dismiss the nuances of the particular pain of being ostracized from your own community, I know that pain well, but it feels so centered in this book in a weird way that implicates other non-white or white passing Natives in a way that feels like something an author of this age should’ve grown out of by now.
I also felt like there was some weird lateral oppressive stereotype deployment in terms of how Latinx folks were portrayed but that’s a whole other can of worms.
In all; I wanna support fellow Indigenous creators and writers, but outside of my work this book has really put to the forefront for me how much I don’t think I’ll be reading cishet, white male stories in the future.
As a fellow white Indigenous (and Oceti Sakowin) relative, I just felt like so much of this book played into strange colonizer stereotypes.
Something in the spirit of it felt...off. I think there’s a lot of nuanced discourse around whiteness and Indigeneity, and a lot of uncomfortable learning, too.
So much of this felt like a white Native pity fest. Not to dismiss the nuances of the particular pain of being ostracized from your own community, I know that pain well, but it feels so centered in this book in a weird way that implicates other non-white or white passing Natives in a way that feels like something an author of this age should’ve grown out of by now.
I also felt like there was some weird lateral oppressive stereotype deployment in terms of how Latinx folks were portrayed but that’s a whole other can of worms.
In all; I wanna support fellow Indigenous creators and writers, but outside of my work this book has really put to the forefront for me how much I don’t think I’ll be reading cishet, white male stories in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Blood
horrorbound's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Grief
okays1331's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping
pomoevareads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I can’t say how much I enjoyed Winter Counts by Sicangu Lakota author David Heska Wanbli Weiden. It was just the perfect read for me right now.
I believe it is important to learn about the history of indigenous peoples. As a non-indigenous person I want to recognize the harms done and work towards balance where it pertains to indigenous populations. I believe this is my first book by and about Lakota people and their ceremony and tradition. I appreciated how the author allows the reader in part way to the sacred ceremonies and keeps parts not previously published clandestine as is part of the structure of the ceremony.
On top of being a book I can learn from, Wanbli Weiden has written a fantastic piece of crime fiction that held my attention and had me staying up late to read.
Our protagonist, Virgil, delivers justice as an enforcer in the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When Virgil’s nephew, Nathan, decides to make a poor decision and use drugs, the results are almost lethal and Virgil wants to see those responsible pay. Whether to believe his Nephew’s story or that of a respected member of the community creates the impetus for Virgil to find the facts and mete out justice.
Virgil plays a role in the community that at first glance might seem rather brash and egoistic but in fact is important to hold people responsible for their actions when the government fails to provide adequate policing and punishment where the reservations are concerned. Virgil’s character’s transformation throughout the novel was inspiring and shows the value of tradition and ceremony and believing in something beyond oneself.
This book deserves all the love it is receiving and I would highly recommend it to everyone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Violence
Minor: Torture
kimgravy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Kidnapping
Minor: Child abuse and Child death