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schausjk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
The Frenchie plot was an interesting and emotional take on the deep horror of residential schools. Aside from that, most of the emotional beats didn't quite hit as deeply as they did in the first one. That being said, I still appreciated being able to see more of the characters.
My rating honestly would've been lower, but I've seen several low reviews out there specifically complaining about the book's so-called "forced diversity" (ugh.) by not making white people the focus in a specifically indigenous book (which... what??) and through the inclusion of a gay couple and a two-spirit character, so I'm rating it a bit higher out of spite for those other reviewers.
TLDR: Not a bad book, but not nearly as well put together as the first one was.
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Torture, Religious bigotry, Medical content, Murder, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, and Cannibalism
Minor: Child death and Drug use
tales_told_in_gold's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Pregnancy, and Racism
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Gun violence
Minor: Cannibalism and Pandemic/Epidemic
nerdsbianhokie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Torture, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Grief, and Racism
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Child death, Racism, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, Hate crime, Genocide, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Blood, Kidnapping, Torture, Murder, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Trafficking, Medical content, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Infertility, Ableism, and Cannibalism
Minor: Terminal illness, Transphobia, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Suicide, Abandonment, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug use, Slavery, and Vomit
Residential schools.jourdanicus's review
- 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? No
4.5
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Racism, Colonisation, Confinement, Violence, Blood, and Pregnancy
Minor: Gun violence, Cannibalism, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Medical content, Grief, and Trafficking
zombiezami's review
5.0
Graphic: Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Blood, Pregnancy, Torture, Confinement, Violence, Medical content, and Racism
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Body horror, Misogyny, Sexism, and Cursing
Minor: Sexual content, Deportation, and Child death
Incarcerationaugustar14's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Confinement, Colonisation, Torture, Genocide, Cursing, Cannibalism, Violence, Grief, Classism, Abandonment, Blood, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Pandemic/Epidemic, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Gun violence, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
Minor: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence
alexalily's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Violence, Trafficking, Child abuse, Confinement, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Blood, Medical content, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Racism, Infertility, Child death, Sexual assault, and Animal death
the_wistful_word_witch's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
**POTENTIAL SPOILERS BELOW*
Welp! Looks like I spoke too soon in my review of The Marrow Thieves!! Hunting by Stars starts out with a kick right in the teeth. I felt like the first book had left off unresolved but hopeful, and the second has just shattered that illusion in the first few sentences.
This book gives us an intimate, brutal look at what really goes on in Canada's new residential schools, and the depths to which the dreamless have sunk comes out as French fights to stay sane in this cruel new world so that he can escape and reunite with his family. But his torment isn't over even when he manages to accomplish these almost insurmountable feats, and his family gets dragged down with him on their own flight for freedom...
There are very few bright spots in this book, and I cried a lot, especially during the last few chapters. The epilogue had me bawling though because Ms. Dimaline once again leaves us with hope, with potential... with dreams.
Graphic: Grief, Genocide, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Violence, Hate crime, Confinement, Blood, Medical trauma, Death, Slavery, Racism, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, and Murder
Minor: Child death
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Trafficking, Gun violence, Blood, Death, Gore, Murder, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Confinement, Pregnancy, Grief, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Child death