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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It was a bit hard for me to get through but that’s because it was tense a lot and sometimes, uncomfortable but it was very good. The character development was beautiful as they stepped into who they really were and how they conquered their inner demons as well. The subject matter was sad but important and they did not end it in a sad way but one of hope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Bullying, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cultural appropriation, Dysphoria
Gritty; a story of an indigenous queer protagonist's coming of age during a time of change within her tribe. We see both the flashy stuff (paved roads, casino resort, monthly stipends) and the soft underbelly (MMIWG/trafficking and general misogyny, drug addiction, conflicting jurisdictional boundaries which make law enforcement difficult, the cruelty of teens against anybody who they think is abnormal). It's a really interesting premise and the author has lots of valuable things to say. Anna and Grace's strained relationship is also painfully relatable. I also liked the nonlinear storytelling; it allowed me to join Anna in her fearless investigation of her sister's disappearance and join her in solidarity.
Unfortunately, on the other hand, I'm finding it hard to forgive some of the execution issues in this book. Perhaps due to the time jumps, the book is weirdly repetitive. Like, I'm talking same exact concept and even similar word choice over the span of 2-3 pages, sometimes even when we haven't skipped that much time. Similarly, the prose seems a bit better suited to being read aloud than read on the page. Sentences will just launch into lists which I assume are meant to emphasize the rich and storied cultures from which the author is drawing inspiration, but instead it has the effect of... being a list. In that vein, I felt like it was maybe weird to invent a tribe for the purposes of the book when the author has the lived experience of his own tribe? For readers who skip the author's note, this might actually be actively misleading since the reality vs fiction in the book is already so blurred. Idk I will defer to indigenous voices on this one so open to being persuaded otherwise. Finally, I feel like the epilogue was so unrealistic as to verge onto wish fulfillment fantasy. In a way this is bittersweet (knowing real life isn't often like this), but for me it was totally immersion-breaking.
This isn't to say there weren't sections that were totally gripping. It is a page turner! Thus, despite the issues, I would recommend this book as a worthwhile ~3 hours.
Unfortunately, on the other hand, I'm finding it hard to forgive some of the execution issues in this book. Perhaps due to the time jumps, the book is weirdly repetitive. Like, I'm talking same exact concept and even similar word choice over the span of 2-3 pages, sometimes even when we haven't skipped that much time. Similarly, the prose seems a bit better suited to being read aloud than read on the page. Sentences will just launch into lists which I assume are meant to emphasize the rich and storied cultures from which the author is drawing inspiration, but instead it has the effect of... being a list. In that vein, I felt like it was maybe weird to invent a tribe for the purposes of the book when the author has the lived experience of his own tribe? For readers who skip the author's note, this might actually be actively misleading since the reality vs fiction in the book is already so blurred. Idk I will defer to indigenous voices on this one so open to being persuaded otherwise. Finally, I feel like the epilogue was so unrealistic as to verge onto wish fulfillment fantasy. In a way this is bittersweet (knowing real life isn't often like this), but for me it was totally immersion-breaking.
This isn't to say there weren't sections that were totally gripping. It is a page turner! Thus, despite the issues, I would recommend this book as a worthwhile ~3 hours.
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I really struggled with the non-linear timeline. I love indigenous fiction, but there was little of the mythology or history promised--just mostly a typical and extremely predictable whodunit.
Another book about the horrible way people treat each other, especially women, but really anyone seen as different.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No