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nancymar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Beautiful prose that brings to life very sad and real stories of Indigenous life on reserves in Canada
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Incest, Rape, Sexual content, Addiction, Colonisation, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Death, and Physical abuse
lizzydennyreadsabook's review
4.0
This book was a beautiful and humbling story of two queer/two-spirited indigenous young men who fall in love but aren't able to publicly be together for various reasons. The main character is also mourning the loss of his younger sister who dies by suicide. This book takes an intense look into depression and suicide ideation so definitely keep that in mind before reading it as many of the scenes were very triggering. CW: sexual assault, suicide, suicidal ideation, homophobia, alcohol/drug abuse.
madison_187's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
graceburts's review against another edition
1.0
I received this Arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to love this book. I really wanted to love it because not only is it own voices m/m but it is written by an indigenous author.
Sadly, the prose was awkward. The plot dull and generic. And the characters flat. This book was exceedingly disappointing and it pains me to say how much I disliked it.
This book is also a movie, and by my understanding, the screenplay came first. So maybe, *fingers crossed* that is better.
I really wanted to love this book. I really wanted to love it because not only is it own voices m/m but it is written by an indigenous author.
Sadly, the prose was awkward. The plot dull and generic. And the characters flat. This book was exceedingly disappointing and it pains me to say how much I disliked it.
This book is also a movie, and by my understanding, the screenplay came first. So maybe, *fingers crossed* that is better.
emilydoucette's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
megpancoast's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
fast-paced
- 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
competencefantasy's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
You can really feel the weight that this character lives under and the way choices have been limited
msvenner's review against another edition
4.0
This was quite a slow book... but it needed to be slow somehow. The subject matter is heavy and weighed down the reader a lot. Shane, the main character, deals with suicide, depression, sexuality, addictions, mental illness and violence, all within a culture struggling to survive. There are few rose coloured glasses here. That said, the author has some beautiful turns of phrase and spectacular metaphors that seem to lift the story. I'm. It sure I'm being clear enough but I really recommend this one.
theshenners's review against another edition
4.0
Candid, visceral, and heart breaking. This book digs under your skin. The prose is gorgeous and vivid, expressing a complex range of emotions with precision and nuance. This book will hurt and then heal you.
there was one part that I felt uncomfortable about, which was a scene where the main character, Shane, thinks to himself that suicide passes your pain to other people, which feels like the kind of unhelpful guilt tripping that's supposed make people want to keep living but instead paints people who die by suicide as selfish and callous and even malicious toward the people who care them.
CW/TWs: suicide, death of a sibling, alcohol, drugs, homomisia, sex, rape
there was one part that I felt uncomfortable about, which was a scene where the main character, Shane, thinks to himself that suicide passes your pain to other people, which feels like the kind of unhelpful guilt tripping that's supposed make people want to keep living but instead paints people who die by suicide as selfish and callous and even malicious toward the people who care them.
CW/TWs: suicide, death of a sibling, alcohol, drugs, homomisia, sex, rape
bizzybee429's review against another edition
5.0
i just want to give everyone in this book a big hug and tell them that everything will be okay