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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
lish2017's review
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
samanthampg's review against another edition
3.0
I had a hard time rating this book because I think that it was an important novel that touched on a lot of important themes but it did take me a while to read it and I felt like not much happened plot wise. There were obviously plot developments but it felt stagnant for most of the novel. That being said there were a lot of important discussions within this novel about religion, sexuality, the treatment of indigenous communities in Canada, family, depression and suicide. On top of that I did personally love the character development we got.
Shane was not the most likeable main character in my opinion and that literally only stems from the fact that he was cheating on his girlfriend and didn't see a problem with it. Shane has a lot of hardships in his life and I was able to sympathize with him, losing a loved one, struggle to make ends meet, seeing your future slip through your grasp. Those are all terrible injustices that Shane had to shoulder himself, so while I wanted to see him succeed and I felt bad for him I was also not okay with his moral choices. The author did a good job of making him a complex character, somebody that was relatable because he was prone to human error but also somebody that I wanted to shake and tell him to stop acting foolish. Tara on the other hand was done SO dirty. She kind of annoyed me at first because I got definite 'quirky girl' vibes from her but she really got the short end of the stick in life. I wished we had been able to see more of her struggle because she was going through so much.
What I did like about this novel was that none of the characters were morally correct. They were all wrong in their own ways because life is like that. Not only were they fighting the pitfalls of life but they were also fighting against racism and prejudice. Shane so casually talked about the women and children who went missing from his community because it was just part of his world and it was startling to me. Shane was upset by it obviously and didn't brush past it, but the amount of missing and murdered people in his community was a lot. The the discussion surrounding what it meant to be Indigenous in this world was interwoven into every plot line of this story, through tradition, through celebration, through death, through Shane's desire to seek higher education. I enjoyed being able to read about a culture that I am obvious unfamiliar with because it opened my eyes to many of the issues I never even thought of because I am white. And I hope that's what the author was trying to do, because I think he managed it well.
As well there is the romance plot line. Like I stated Shane is dating Tara but he's really in love with David, who he has been secretly with for months. I know that being two spirited wasn't accepted in their community but I don't think that means Shane had to lead Tara on like that. I literally don't care about the situation cheating is cheating and I hate it. Shane was in the wrong for what he did and therefore I always held a but of a grudge against him throughout the novel. Besides that, I liked David and Shane i was rooting for them. I felt like there could have been more discussion around what it means to identify as two spirited and how that played a part in their religion because it wasn't discussed too much and I feel like it would have helped Shane and David to talk about it.
This book was not a happy one per say but it was given a satisfactory ending that I felt rounded out all of the stories that the author was trying to tell and paved way for Shane and David to grow in the future.
Shane was not the most likeable main character in my opinion and that literally only stems from the fact that he was cheating on his girlfriend and didn't see a problem with it. Shane has a lot of hardships in his life and I was able to sympathize with him, losing a loved one, struggle to make ends meet, seeing your future slip through your grasp. Those are all terrible injustices that Shane had to shoulder himself, so while I wanted to see him succeed and I felt bad for him I was also not okay with his moral choices. The author did a good job of making him a complex character, somebody that was relatable because he was prone to human error but also somebody that I wanted to shake and tell him to stop acting foolish. Tara on the other hand was done SO dirty. She kind of annoyed me at first because I got definite 'quirky girl' vibes from her but she really got the short end of the stick in life. I wished we had been able to see more of her struggle because she was going through so much.
What I did like about this novel was that none of the characters were morally correct. They were all wrong in their own ways because life is like that. Not only were they fighting the pitfalls of life but they were also fighting against racism and prejudice. Shane so casually talked about the women and children who went missing from his community because it was just part of his world and it was startling to me. Shane was upset by it obviously and didn't brush past it, but the amount of missing and murdered people in his community was a lot. The the discussion surrounding what it meant to be Indigenous in this world was interwoven into every plot line of this story, through tradition, through celebration, through death, through Shane's desire to seek higher education. I enjoyed being able to read about a culture that I am obvious unfamiliar with because it opened my eyes to many of the issues I never even thought of because I am white. And I hope that's what the author was trying to do, because I think he managed it well.
As well there is the romance plot line. Like I stated Shane is dating Tara but he's really in love with David, who he has been secretly with for months. I know that being two spirited wasn't accepted in their community but I don't think that means Shane had to lead Tara on like that. I literally don't care about the situation cheating is cheating and I hate it. Shane was in the wrong for what he did and therefore I always held a but of a grudge against him throughout the novel. Besides that, I liked David and Shane i was rooting for them. I felt like there could have been more discussion around what it means to identify as two spirited and how that played a part in their religion because it wasn't discussed too much and I feel like it would have helped Shane and David to talk about it.
This book was not a happy one per say but it was given a satisfactory ending that I felt rounded out all of the stories that the author was trying to tell and paved way for Shane and David to grow in the future.
mkachiri's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
raix's review
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mhov0203's review against another edition
4.0
Fire Song follows our main character Shane, a high school student who has recently suffered the death of his sister, Destiny—by suicide. Shane lives on the reservation with his now depression encapsulated mother and has secrets of his own. On the outside, Shane looks like the ultimate son, he is handsome, athletic, smart and has a pretty girlfriend. On the inside, Shane is in love with Destiny’s best friend, David. Everything seemed okay when Destiny was still alive, but since she died everything seems to be spiraling out of control.
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I can always appreciate a book that keeps me interested from start to finish. There were a couple of confusing parts where Shane goes on what he refers to as “Drifts” in which his mind leaves his body and goes somewhere else. I took that to be equivalent to a daydream as a way for Shane to mentally check out from whatever experience is happening in front of him, a coping mechanism. I mostly felt bad for Shane during this story. He lost his sister, his dad passed away years ago, and now his mom won’t leave his sister’s room. Their house is falling apart, Shane’s relationship with his girlfriend, Tara, is getting rockier and there are murmurs throughout their tight-knit community about Shane and David being gay; a huge no-no for their people and their ancestors. The writing is easy to follow and keeps the reader wanting more from the story. I found it hard to put this one down because I just wanted to know what happened next! I would definitely recommend this story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I can always appreciate a book that keeps me interested from start to finish. There were a couple of confusing parts where Shane goes on what he refers to as “Drifts” in which his mind leaves his body and goes somewhere else. I took that to be equivalent to a daydream as a way for Shane to mentally check out from whatever experience is happening in front of him, a coping mechanism. I mostly felt bad for Shane during this story. He lost his sister, his dad passed away years ago, and now his mom won’t leave his sister’s room. Their house is falling apart, Shane’s relationship with his girlfriend, Tara, is getting rockier and there are murmurs throughout their tight-knit community about Shane and David being gay; a huge no-no for their people and their ancestors. The writing is easy to follow and keeps the reader wanting more from the story. I found it hard to put this one down because I just wanted to know what happened next! I would definitely recommend this story.
violet97's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.5