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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
I chose this as my BOTM in an effort to read more stories about Native peoples and take on the native perspectives. It was wonderful in that respect. The content was really illuminating, and very much highlights my ignorance in regard to Native life and Native issues, especially related to the Reservations. The read was worth it for that alone.
However, that said, I don’t think it was that great of a book from a plot perspective. I thought it was outright obvious who the villain was from the moment the intrigue started - the random other threads of the book would have made next to no sense, otherwise. Because of this, I thought Virgil was kind of an idiot for not being more suspicious from the get go. It’s not so much twisty/turny as it is a little disjointed, and Marie and Nathan are both done a bit of a disservice in being poorly fleshed out.
I mean, Marie, a woman who thought a heroic idol (Chef Lack) in her life might be a criminal, wanted to avoid police pursuit of his wrongs. But then she shoots her own father to death in a split second. Yes, Virgil’s life was at stake, but the one to two word resolution of that was so dismissive and off putting. The act of Marie falling back into a romance with Virgil with no real development was un convincing for me, too. I think I overall would have preferred to read Marie’s story from her POV - but I don’t think this book is a let down in an overall sense.
Very glad BOTM included it, and I’d happily read more of this author’s work. I’m also grateful he included academic sources for people like me to turn to in order to educate myself better on these topics.
However, that said, I don’t think it was that great of a book from a plot perspective. I thought it was outright obvious who the villain was from the moment the intrigue started - the random other threads of the book would have made next to no sense, otherwise. Because of this, I thought Virgil was kind of an idiot for not being more suspicious from the get go. It’s not so much twisty/turny as it is a little disjointed, and Marie and Nathan are both done a bit of a disservice in being poorly fleshed out.
I mean, Marie, a woman who thought a heroic idol (Chef Lack) in her life might be a criminal, wanted to avoid police pursuit of his wrongs. But then she shoots her own father to death in a split second. Yes, Virgil’s life was at stake, but the one to two word resolution of that was so dismissive and off putting. The act of Marie falling back into a romance with Virgil with no real development was un convincing for me, too. I think I overall would have preferred to read Marie’s story from her POV - but I don’t think this book is a let down in an overall sense.
Very glad BOTM included it, and I’d happily read more of this author’s work. I’m also grateful he included academic sources for people like me to turn to in order to educate myself better on these topics.
This is a FANTASTIC debut that left me shocked, disgusted, and intrigued. I knew I would like this book based on the initial premise, and it didn't disappoint. If you want a slow burn mystery, this is the book for you. I learned a lot about Native American history and the turmoil/hurt these groups of people have endured over hundreds of years. The audiobook was also fantastic, as the narrator displayed emotion without being overly dramatic. Overall, a solid read and I'll definitely be on the lookout for future works by this author.
Riveting, eye-opening thriller set mostly on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. I’m hoping this is the first in a series as I really enjoyed the setting and learning something about reservation life, history, and culture.
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
I was really excited coming into this book, but it was really hard to get immersed and the pacing was really slow. The reason I gave it two stars was because literally it was only in the end of the book that the action started. I appreciated how this novel tackles Native American issues that they still face today, but it was just so slow. Perhaps it was me because I expected more action and a fast paced novel, but it was not.
I was really excited coming into this book, but it was really hard to get immersed and the pacing was really slow. The reason I gave it two stars was because literally it was only in the end of the book that the action started. I appreciated how this novel tackles Native American issues that they still face today, but it was just so slow. Perhaps it was me because I expected more action and a fast paced novel, but it was not.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It gets really good at the end but the beginning was a bit slow. You needed the buildup to understand the intricacies of the plot but a little slow in my opinion. It was a good read, not my normal genre.
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Racism, Violence, Kidnapping
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Death of parent
This thriller is about a vigilante who lives on an Indian Reservation in South Dakota. His job administering justice collides with his personal life when he’s asked to investigate a drug operation on the reservation and unbeknownst to him, his nephew is involved. This book is very fast paced, has many twists and turns, and I could not put it down for the last 150ish pages.
While this is technically considered a thriller, it felt more complex than your average thriller for me. Weiden does an incredible job creating more depth through: the complex history of Virgil and Nathan’s family story, the connections and details about Native history, culture, and traditions, and the intricacies about life on the reservation. I honestly felt I learned things reading this book. In the author’s note, Weiden talks about the care he took when writing about Native culture and traditions. He includes some great references that invite the reader to further explore certain topics.
Check out what I’m reading next on Instagram @LeahsLitReview
While this is technically considered a thriller, it felt more complex than your average thriller for me. Weiden does an incredible job creating more depth through: the complex history of Virgil and Nathan’s family story, the connections and details about Native history, culture, and traditions, and the intricacies about life on the reservation. I honestly felt I learned things reading this book. In the author’s note, Weiden talks about the care he took when writing about Native culture and traditions. He includes some great references that invite the reader to further explore certain topics.
Check out what I’m reading next on Instagram @LeahsLitReview
The cadence of the writing reminded me strongly of "Race To The Sun" by Rebecca Roanhorse.
I feel like I learned quite a lot about the Lakota - more than I'd known before, at any rate. There was a lot of teaching within the story. I even chuckled a few times.
I gave the story a four star rating because I figured out almost right away who the "bad guy" was and I felt that Virgil was kind of naïve for someone who had purportedly had so much experience dealing with scoundrels. Also, the ending was rushed and messy.
Overall, though, the book kept my interest. I almost didn't read it because of the story's description (I generally steer clear of "thrillers"), but I'm glad I did.
I feel like I learned quite a lot about the Lakota - more than I'd known before, at any rate. There was a lot of teaching within the story. I even chuckled a few times.
I gave the story a four star rating because I figured out almost right away who the "bad guy" was and I felt that Virgil was kind of naïve for someone who had purportedly had so much experience dealing with scoundrels. Also, the ending was rushed and messy.
Overall, though, the book kept my interest. I almost didn't read it because of the story's description (I generally steer clear of "thrillers"), but I'm glad I did.