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bookishmillennial's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
OMG this was so dang precious! This is the Alice in Wonderland reimagining/inspired coming-of-age adventure of nonbinary Anishinaabe middle-schooler Aimée, as they go on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. They wander off, and enter an alternate dimension populated by traditional Anishinaabe figures, eventually helping Trickster to hunt down dark water spirits!
Aimée endures some bullying and feeling massively misunderstood and unheard by educators too, but through this adventure and a bit of bravery, Aimée pushes through and stands a bit taller in their identity by the end of this. I loved the references to land ownership, mental health self-care, and recognizing the good around you. I also loved the moment with the caterpillar/butterfly <3
About the authors and illustrators:
OMG this was so dang precious! This is the Alice in Wonderland reimagining/inspired coming-of-age adventure of nonbinary Anishinaabe middle-schooler Aimée, as they go on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. They wander off, and enter an alternate dimension populated by traditional Anishinaabe figures, eventually helping Trickster to hunt down dark water spirits!
Aimée endures some bullying and feeling massively misunderstood and unheard by educators too, but through this adventure and a bit of bravery, Aimée pushes through and stands a bit taller in their identity by the end of this. I loved the references to land ownership, mental health self-care, and recognizing the good around you. I also loved the moment with the caterpillar/butterfly <3
About the authors and illustrators:
- ELIZABETH LAPENSÉE (she/they) is an award-winning Anishinaabe, Métis, and Irish writer and illustrator whose work appears in Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection series, Deer Woman: An Anthology, and more.
- KC Oster (he/she/they) is an Ojibwe-Anishinaabe comic artist and illustrator. They live in the Rainy River District of Northwestern Ontario.
- Aarin Migiziins (Little Eagle) Dokum ndizhinikaas, Wiikwemkoosing, Wiikwemkoong ndo njibaa. (My name is Aarin Dokum and my Nishinaabe noozwin/Anishinaabe name is Migiziins. I am from Wikwemkoosing, Wikwemikong Ontario, Canada.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, and Bullying
emily_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
It sucks that this book has a dodgy average rating on Goodreads, as judging by the reviews I read a lot of this stems from white reviewers centring themselves and expecting this book to cater to them (this is regarding the Anishinaabemowin in the text, which the authors provide an easily accessible glossary for at the beginning of the book, which was still complained about), and also some adult reviewers perhaps not adjusting their expectations of a children’s graphic novel. I personally had a fantastic time with this book.
Oster’s art was wonderful. I think it was their use of thick lines that really stood out to me; I particularly liked how this was used in the articulation of the animals. The colour palette was a great choice too, comprised of muted earthy tones.
The novel worked really well as a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. My memory of that book is zany adventures strung together by the MC just trying to get home, which is exactly what this story was. LaPensée takes elements of the original, but re-contextualises them from a Native American perspective. For example, the White Rabbit here was Jiibayaabooz, one of the Trickster brothers, and the Queen of Hearts was a coloniser. The Mad Hatter, Flowers and Caterpillar all find their way in, too. This was a super effective way at approaching a retelling, as the story was still recognisable yet made fresh. The variety of whimsical situations Aimée finds themself in keeps the reader interested and entertained, yet the book never loses sight of the overall goal, which is to get Aimée home. One critique I do have of the plot is how Aimée conveniently finds themself exactly where they need to be to make an offering to paayehnsag. I also wish we had been shown how this location fit Jiibayaabooz’s description.
Aimée was a great MC. They start the book isolated and without a lot of self-love and -confidence. Throughout the story, as they are thrust into the role of hero and make new friends, this starts to change. I thought their character development was really great.
I would definitely recommend this read and hope LaPensée and Oster collaborate again!
Oster’s art was wonderful. I think it was their use of thick lines that really stood out to me; I particularly liked how this was used in the articulation of the animals. The colour palette was a great choice too, comprised of muted earthy tones.
The novel worked really well as a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. My memory of that book is zany adventures strung together by the MC just trying to get home, which is exactly what this story was. LaPensée takes elements of the original, but re-contextualises them from a Native American perspective. For example, the White Rabbit here was Jiibayaabooz, one of the Trickster brothers, and the Queen of Hearts was a coloniser. The Mad Hatter, Flowers and Caterpillar all find their way in, too. This was a super effective way at approaching a retelling, as the story was still recognisable yet made fresh. The variety of whimsical situations Aimée finds themself in keeps the reader interested and entertained, yet the book never loses sight of the overall goal, which is to get Aimée home. One critique I do have of the plot is how Aimée conveniently finds themself exactly where they need to be to make an offering to paayehnsag. I also wish we had been shown how this location fit Jiibayaabooz’s description.
Aimée was a great MC. They start the book isolated and without a lot of self-love and -confidence. Throughout the story, as they are thrust into the role of hero and make new friends, this starts to change. I thought their character development was really great.
I would definitely recommend this read and hope LaPensée and Oster collaborate again!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Racism, Bullying, and Transphobia
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child death, and Death
Moderate: misgendering Minor: drowningjessereadsthings's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
A graphic novel with an extremely interesting concept and really cute art. A bit young writing wise for me, but other than that I really enjoyed this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia, Bullying, Colonisation, and Racism
xolobooks's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Transphobia
Minor: Colonisation
jackelz's review
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Rabbit Chase is a story of self-discovery, community, and finding one's place in the world. It was a fun mix of Anishinaabe culture and storytelling, and an Alice in Wonderland retelling that explores Indigenous and gender issues through a fresh yet familiar looking glass.
Aimée, a nonbinary Anishinaabe middle-schooler, is on a class trip to offer gifts to Paayehnsag, the water spirits known to protect the land. While stories are told about the water spirits and the threat of the land being taken over for development, Aimée accidentally wanders off, and they are transported to an alternate dimension.
I loved how the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ elements were familiar, yet different. Each one tied into Anishinaabe culture, so the journey was educational and exciting. There is a glossary of used Anishinaabe words in the back, as to not distract from the text. This representation is so, so important!
Aimée is bullied at school for their gender identity, and even a school figure makes snide remarks. My only wish is that this was challenged a bit more in the book.
About the creators: Elizabeth LaPensée, Ph.D. is of Irish, Anishinaabe, and Métis descent. KC Oster (he/she/they) is an Ojibwe-Anishinaabe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Additional content warnings: misgendering
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