You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Teenaged girls keep disappearing from the reservation and no one outside of the immediate community seems to care. Anna, a high school senior, takes up a job at the hotel connected to her reservation’s casino and notices something isn’t right about her new boss. She keeps seeing women, younger and younger, leave suite 808. Then one day, Anna’s world is thrown upside down when her fifteen year old sister doesn’t return home, and Anna thinks she went to suite 808. What is happening to the young women on Anna’s reservation, and does it have anything to do with the old stories her community has forgotten?
Sisters of the Lost Nation was a well written story bringing light to the thousands of indigenous women that have gone missing, and have yet to be found. The story was definitely more character based than plot, and I found it to be rather slow. While I enjoyed Medina’s writing style, I struggled to stay focused due to not a lot happening. The book was very atmospheric but it took me over two months to finally finish.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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:
Yes
Book review of Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina. 4 out of 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.
Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina is a gripping and poignant read that will captivate fans of atmospheric and suspenseful storytelling, particularly those drawn to themes of identity, cultural heritage, and the resilience of Indigenous voices, as well as some readers who enjoy a mix of mystery, thriller, and mythological horror elements.
Okay. The time jump stresses me out. I know that’s a part of my storytelling. However. It’s so strange when it jumps from day 5 to day 33. What in the heck? Ugh!! Luckily though, the chapters are short and easy to digest in one sitting.
You know, even though I don’t enjoy the time jumps in novels, I envy authors who are able to keep that good of a timeline. It always baffles me how much of an outline normal people write in their preparing for a story. It just never occurs to me to do the same. 😂 it really is a great book. I’m just waiting for it to click into place finally. Once it did click into place, the novel was fantastic. Everything just kind of puzzle pieced together, and I love it. And it’s based off of Native American girls who do go missing.
This author includes a lot of unnecessary body descriptions in a way that feel very gender essentialist and really took away from the overall story. For example, he talks repeatedly about a character’s body and how she’s physically not as feminine as other girls and it just kind of feels like the author is painting not having a stereotypically attractive/“feminine” body type as evidence that the character is obviously two spirit, which is hugely disappointing (especially when he also fails to acknowledge two spirit people facing violence when talking about MMIW)
This was such a good book. I felt that it was respectful in illustrating real struggles and issues of Native American people while still telling a story that is sadly a reality for many. The folklore intertwining was excellent. The author was a great story teller, but this was a very emotional book. Found myself crying and then learning more about the epidemic of missing Native women.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a debut novel set on a fictional reservation in Louisiana. It features 17-year-old Anna Horn. Tormented at school and terrorized by an ancient myth, readers can feel the terror and torment Anna experiences. However, as girls go missing on the reservation, including Anna’s younger sister, Grace, Anna isn’t willing to just sit back – she is determined to investigate.
Where are these girls going?
Is the myth doing this – or some human evil?
As readers, we see Anna as a bullied outcast. She has faced years of isolation and alienation for being different from everyone else. She is also very kind and helps at home and is interested in the history of her reservation – her people.
As a character, she transformed beautifully. Other characters seemed less dynamic. This took away slightly from the story.
The prologue sets the tone about the tribal myth that will take readers throughout the story.
Part I begins with an alarming scene that lets readers into the mystery that needs to be solved.
The story will go back and forth in time covering a 36-day period. Each section is labeled with the day and time.
This type of storytelling was a bit disruptive to the flow and affected the pacing overall.
Otherwise…
The author builds his story well by showing the crisis faced by the families in the novel. He even shares in his Author’s Note,
“… studies indicate that Native women are likely to suffer physical and sexual assault at a rate higher than – and disproportionate to – the national average.”
It is an emotional, page-turning story with lots of tension. Heart-felt. Real-feeling. Heart-wrenching.
The author provides a content warning page at the beginning of the novel which should be read prior to venturing into the book. I will include some of those trigger warnings…addiction, drug abuse, physical assault and battery, child abuse, disappearances, racism, and bullying.
He also shares, “please read with your well-being and best interest in mind.”
I would say the same about this story overall.
And don’t stop at the epilogue. Be sure and read the Author’s Note at the end.
Where are these girls going?
Is the myth doing this – or some human evil?
As readers, we see Anna as a bullied outcast. She has faced years of isolation and alienation for being different from everyone else. She is also very kind and helps at home and is interested in the history of her reservation – her people.
As a character, she transformed beautifully. Other characters seemed less dynamic. This took away slightly from the story.
The prologue sets the tone about the tribal myth that will take readers throughout the story.
Part I begins with an alarming scene that lets readers into the mystery that needs to be solved.
The story will go back and forth in time covering a 36-day period. Each section is labeled with the day and time.
This type of storytelling was a bit disruptive to the flow and affected the pacing overall.
Otherwise…
The author builds his story well by showing the crisis faced by the families in the novel. He even shares in his Author’s Note,
“… studies indicate that Native women are likely to suffer physical and sexual assault at a rate higher than – and disproportionate to – the national average.”
It is an emotional, page-turning story with lots of tension. Heart-felt. Real-feeling. Heart-wrenching.
The author provides a content warning page at the beginning of the novel which should be read prior to venturing into the book. I will include some of those trigger warnings…addiction, drug abuse, physical assault and battery, child abuse, disappearances, racism, and bullying.
He also shares, “please read with your well-being and best interest in mind.”
I would say the same about this story overall.
And don’t stop at the epilogue. Be sure and read the Author’s Note at the end.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
The first half of this felt like one giant sister squabble, the time jumps weren't clear and I didn't understand the sequence of events until deeper into the book. The last third is where this really picks up and you get angry and anxious. In the end this was meaningful, but it took some getting there.