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readundancies's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
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? No
3.75
I don't read crime thrillers all that often, so for the first half of the novel I found myself questioning why I wasn't as engaged as I felt I should've been.
Am I just not into crime thrillers? The jury's still out on that.
Because the second started to pick up in pace and that's when I started to become more emotionally invested.
It was definitely a slow start though. The pacing was slow throughout the first half and it was a lot of establishing the characters and the community. The characterization was fine, but not very deep; I felt like I didn’t really get to know some of the characters the way I’d have liked to. I also had a hard time connecting with the characters because I'm not a very spiritual person, but that's on me. From a learning perspective? I was fascinated and excited to learn about the Lakota way of life, the customs that are followed, and how they interpret the world around them. Getting to hear from a Lakota perspective in Virgil’s character was eye-opening and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I wasn't 100% sold on Marie and Virgil as a couple. It just seemed a little too easy between them because they were overly comfortable with one another. In contrast, Virgil and Tommy’s friendship was great. Even though at times it seemed more like Virgil was using Tommy as an informant, they shared a genuine connection, and Tommy’s levity really did a solid job of offsetting the increasing strife in Virgil’s life.
I appreciated the high level of action as everything went down towards the end, and would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to read more stories with a focus on Indigenous and First Nations peoples.
Am I just not into crime thrillers? The jury's still out on that.
Because the second started to pick up in pace and that's when I started to become more emotionally invested.
It was definitely a slow start though. The pacing was slow throughout the first half and it was a lot of establishing the characters and the community. The characterization was fine, but not very deep; I felt like I didn’t really get to know some of the characters the way I’d have liked to. I also had a hard time connecting with the characters because I'm not a very spiritual person, but that's on me. From a learning perspective? I was fascinated and excited to learn about the Lakota way of life, the customs that are followed, and how they interpret the world around them. Getting to hear from a Lakota perspective in Virgil’s character was eye-opening and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I wasn't 100% sold on Marie and Virgil as a couple. It just seemed a little too easy between them because they were overly comfortable with one another. In contrast, Virgil and Tommy’s friendship was great. Even though at times it seemed more like Virgil was using Tommy as an informant, they shared a genuine connection, and Tommy’s levity really did a solid job of offsetting the increasing strife in Virgil’s life.
I appreciated the high level of action as everything went down towards the end, and would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to read more stories with a focus on Indigenous and First Nations peoples.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
becksreading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
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
This was a captivating, hard but necessary story. It is such important conversation about life on native reservations and the many injustices that come with it. And that’s just the setting this very difficult story is told in. An excellent read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Racial slurs, and Racism
kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
jourdanicus's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
This book was everything I want in a crime thriller, without any of the tired tropes that make me end up avoiding crime thrillers even though I tend to want to read them. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a medium to fast paced crime drama - if you can stomach descriptions of violence and fighting, I think it's worth it because this story involves bad guys coming to justice in really satisfying ways. As a final note I really appreciated the author's writing of the characters overall - they were believable and sympathetic - but especially the women characters. I typically avoid fiction written by men because of too many bad experiences with the way women characters were written, but Weiden's female characters were fully developed, not just accessories to the vigilante male protagonist. Much respect to this author and I look forward to future works by him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Grief, and Car accident
opinionsofawolf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Pedophilia
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
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