Scan barcode
sangsmiles's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Violence, Genocide, Child death, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Animal death and Suicide
thiswasatriumph'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Child death, and Genocide
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Rape, Child abuse, and Slavery
Minor: Alcoholism, Abandonment, Alcohol, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racial slurs
jordynkw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, Genocide, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Religious bigotry, Confinement, and Xenophobia
spacescape'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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Cultural appropriation, Confinement, Racism, Death of parent, Death, and Colonisation
Minor: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, and Suicide
jlworley's review
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence and Child death
careinthelibrary's review
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Child abuse, Child death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Death, Genocide, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Police brutality, Suicide, and Mental illness
Minor: War
serendipitysbooks'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
4.25
A Council of Dolls is the story of three generations of Dakota women. It clearly shows the harms done by residential schools and lets the readers see intergenerational trauma in action. I can have mixed reactions to magical realism but here it was done to perfection. I loved seeing the different roles the dolls fulfilled for the girls - companionship, support, protection, advice, love, a feeling of safety- many of which might have been provided by their mothers had they been able to parent in the way they would surely have wished. The novel is structured as a series of three stories which are told in reverse chronological order with the mother in the first story, being the girl in the next, and her mother being a child in the third. It was effective at showing the links between harmful and undesirable behaviours and underlying trauma, and was a a good reminder not to judge people, especially when you don’t know their full story.
Graphic: Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism
caseythereader'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
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Racism, Genocide, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Violence
rachelle_reads's review against another edition
5.0
The structure of this book was really powerful, showing the impact of the traumas before the events/circumstances leading to the traumas. This novel really brought home the idea of generational trauma while showcasing the resilience and perseverance of the characters as individuals as well as their family, culture, and stories.
Graphic: Xenophobia, Child abuse, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Racism
just_one_more_paige'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Addiction, Body shaming, Child death, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racism, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, and Violence