Reviews

Dirt Poor Islanders by Winnie Dunn

mylynn's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

 Dirt Poor Islanders deftly navigates the complexities of being mixed, away from your roots, in a country that doesn’t try to understand or make space for your culture. I really enjoyed many parts of this coming of age story, but I also had some issues with it (detailed on the next 2 slides). 

I really loved how you could feel the Tongan pride throughout this book and I loved learning a little about Tongan mythology and culture. I liked that so much of the Tongan language was included (in full and in Tong-lish). I liked that even though Meadow doesn’t speak Tongan fluently, she understands some and is able to parse it.

The familial relations in this book felt so real to me and Winnie Dunn does a great job at establishing everyone’s distinct personalities and roles. It’s was so interesting to see the clear generational divides between the first generation (Meadow’s grandma), the second generation (her dad and her aunties), and the third generation (Meadow and her siblings and cousins). This felt so real to me, and I can see aspects of it on the CHamoru side of my family. 

Meadow and her family experience covert and overt racism, and these interactions are described in such realistic ways that I’m sure these situations must’ve been experienced outside of fiction. 

 

My first issue with this book is the aggressive inclusion of multiple Harry Potter references (I counted at least 3).

It’s 2024, I am BEGGING authors to stop putting Harry Potter references in their books. As someone who used to be solely defined by my (now extinguished) love for HP, I know it was such a big part of a lot of people lives but it’s time to LET IT GO. 

JKR has been and is still currently being incredibly harmful to the trans community. Not to mention the weird racist things that are actually in HP. (please google these things if you don’t know what I’m talking about)

By including HP references you are:

• Saying that you care more about nostalgia than trans rights
• Making people feel unwelcome reading your books
• Promoting JKR and sending a message to your reader
• Contributing to people putting more money in JKR’s pockets which she then uses to fund anti-trans legislation and organizations

 
 

My second issue is the constant usage of “Lebanese” instead of “lesbian”. 

I think the author’s choice to replace “lesbian” with the word “Lebanese” multiple times is gross. Meadow does this because she is uncomfortable with the word “lesbian” and eventually she does say the correct word at the end. I get that there is a stigma around being a gay that exists differently in different cultures, but this felt gross and unnecessary to me every time it happened. This “joke” isn’t original or funny, we’ve seen it in media like Golden Girls and Glee already.

Lebanese people exist and don’t deserve to be used as “wordplay” (if we can call it that). 

Lesbian is not a bad word. 

If the author had only done this once for an “effect” (??) I could sort of understand it but it was done SO MANY TIMES. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Self harm, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Miscarriage and Infertility

leavesnpages's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was such a good novel, introducing the Tongan people and their culture. It was unapologetic in its portrayal of Tongan people, their culture and their struggles. 

I loved the use of Tongan cultural stories, their language and also actually taking the story to Tonga - it wasn't all just set in Australia. 

Each character was described so uniquely. Winnie really knew how to capture a characters' essence with words. 

The bonds of family and love were such beautifully strong themes. Would recommend.

elias_reads's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

A beauuuutiful book. The characters and settings are so vivid and will stay with me. LOVED the way everything came together in the end in such a beautiful way.
Also was so cool to see western Sydney talk in a book!

grebegirl's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• 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

3.5

Some beautifully touching and tender moments. A very raw and immersive. Challenging to read at times but the characters are also funny and endearing 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, and Body shaming

Moderate: Grief, Racism, and Homophobia

Minor: Infertility, Cancer, Colonisation, Vomit, and Self harm

persuadingdaisies's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

mmmmmm's review

can't in good conscience give this a numbered review. 

this is a book i would have loved if the editorial wasn't so visible in the ways that it both intervened and failed to. the characters are gorgeous and fleshed out and it holds no bars. but it panders to a white audience that does it and the author a disservice, and i just honestly don't believe that's what she intended.