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rsantorella's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
3.5
jenny_librarian's review
4.0
4.5 ⭐️
Trigger warnings: homophobia, mentions of abuse, suicide, violence
This is as heart-breaking as it’s resilient. I haven’t seen the movie it’s based on, but I’m sure I would need a whole box of tissues if I watched it.
I don’t know why, but I always thought Indigenous people would be more accepting of LGBT+ people. Might be because they tecognise two-spirited as a valid gender. How wrong I was.
I’m not saying this is a representation of all Indigenous peoples, because it’s not. It’s a small picture of a single Anishinaabe reservation, where some follow their ancestral culture while others have turned their back on it.
And that’s where the whole power of this story lies. Reading it, I recognized all the problems that Indigenous peoples have been calling out for decades: drugs and alcohol, rampant abuse, rape, suicide, deceased and disappeared women. All in rates much higher than any other communities in Canada.
The heart breaking part is knowing this is real. This is an ongoing problem that Indigenous peoples face constantly. The resilience comes from Shane’s refusal to accept it. Even when he gives up, he doesn’t. Not really. And it doesn’t change everything, but it makes things a little better. And a little can go a long way.
Trigger warnings: homophobia, mentions of abuse, suicide, violence
This is as heart-breaking as it’s resilient. I haven’t seen the movie it’s based on, but I’m sure I would need a whole box of tissues if I watched it.
I don’t know why, but I always thought Indigenous people would be more accepting of LGBT+ people. Might be because they tecognise two-spirited as a valid gender. How wrong I was.
I’m not saying this is a representation of all Indigenous peoples, because it’s not. It’s a small picture of a single Anishinaabe reservation, where some follow their ancestral culture while others have turned their back on it.
And that’s where the whole power of this story lies. Reading it, I recognized all the problems that Indigenous peoples have been calling out for decades: drugs and alcohol, rampant abuse, rape, suicide, deceased and disappeared women. All in rates much higher than any other communities in Canada.
The heart breaking part is knowing this is real. This is an ongoing problem that Indigenous peoples face constantly. The resilience comes from Shane’s refusal to accept it. Even when he gives up, he doesn’t. Not really. And it doesn’t change everything, but it makes things a little better. And a little can go a long way.
myralt's review
2.0
Honestly I wasn't a big fan of the book and wanted to give up on it. I felt like it didn't really go anywhere and it got boring fast. The last fourth of the book did get a bit better and more interesting, however that still wasn't enough to get at least three stars.
readingmaria's review
4.0
I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley and Annick Press.
You can read my full review on ReadingMaria.
What interested me the most about Fire Song was the fact that it was a movie and now turned into this book – usually it’s the other way around! I did find some parts in the book to be more suited for the big screen, but it wasn’t a huge issue for me. The plot is so real, too. Suicide-prevention and school accessibility really aren’t available for these kids; they have it so much harder than many other kids, so the reality of Shane’s situation is believable, and all the emotions are there that go with it.
What we never hear about is an LGBTQ community within Indigenous communities. It’s just not a thing that’ really brought up, so Adam has done a great job to bring light to these people who are, essentially, a minority within a minority. It was heart breaking to see the relationship between Shane and David go through so much turmoil JUST because of the families and location they were born in. They are never allowed to be themselves, and sneaking around can (and does) only get them so far.
You can read my full review on ReadingMaria.
What interested me the most about Fire Song was the fact that it was a movie and now turned into this book – usually it’s the other way around! I did find some parts in the book to be more suited for the big screen, but it wasn’t a huge issue for me. The plot is so real, too. Suicide-prevention and school accessibility really aren’t available for these kids; they have it so much harder than many other kids, so the reality of Shane’s situation is believable, and all the emotions are there that go with it.
What we never hear about is an LGBTQ community within Indigenous communities. It’s just not a thing that’ really brought up, so Adam has done a great job to bring light to these people who are, essentially, a minority within a minority. It was heart breaking to see the relationship between Shane and David go through so much turmoil JUST because of the families and location they were born in. They are never allowed to be themselves, and sneaking around can (and does) only get them so far.
effiereads's review against another edition
4.0
An emotional tale of a young Indigenous boy, Shane, dealing with his sister's suicide, his mother's detachment from reality, and his own struggles to come out. As he yearns to escape the rez, Shane tries everything he can to get money for university in Toronto but the obstacles of life on a First Nations reservation keep getting in the way. This book brings to light the struggles of modern day Native youth, dealing with the scars of the past and the dismissal of aid and proper funding from the Canadian government. I definitely recommend this book.
squrrlgrrl's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Racism, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Homophobia, Grief, Cursing, Child death, Bullying, Blood, Biphobia, and Alcohol
chrisvigilante's review against another edition
3.0
So here's the thing. I like this story. But didn't connect with the characters enough. I am reading a lot this month but I don't think that was why. A lot is happening but the emotional resonance wasn't there for me.
I do love that the story is own voices. I feel like the representation here is great.
I just think I'd love to see the movie for this soon. I think I'd connect to it more. The film has been on my watchlist for a while now but I wanted to read the book first when I saw there was a novelization. Will hopefully get around to watching the film in the next couple months. It will be an emotional one for me so I might take a bit longer to get to it. Still, definitely want to when I get the opportunity.
I do love that the story is own voices. I feel like the representation here is great.
I just think I'd love to see the movie for this soon. I think I'd connect to it more. The film has been on my watchlist for a while now but I wanted to read the book first when I saw there was a novelization. Will hopefully get around to watching the film in the next couple months. It will be an emotional one for me so I might take a bit longer to get to it. Still, definitely want to when I get the opportunity.
justabean_reads's review
dark
sad
slow-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
Originally a movie, then novelised by the filmmaker: the story follows a queer teen living on a (fictional) Anishinaabe reserve in northern Ontario. Our hero has a boyfriend who's deep in the closet, a girlfriend he hasn't informed is mostly a beard, a sister who's just committed suicide, a mom who's emotionally checked out, a house that's rotting around him, a drinking problem, and not much hope that he's going to get to go to college in Toronto.
The book leans so hard into bleak that it dragged as one terrible thing after another happened to make the hero's life more hopeless, and the pull up to a bittersweet ending didn't feel especially earned. I also felt like though the author tried to give the female characters some kind of voice, they didn't have a lot of agency, and it had something of the feeling that bad things happened to them to further the hero's angst, not their own stories.
I think this was probably a better movie. In film, the narrative would have been given a bit more speed, and a bit less time for the viewer to feel like this was turning into a sadness wallow. (Or to go, "Oh, come on!" at plot developments.) But I haven't seen it, so maybe not.
The book leans so hard into bleak that it dragged as one terrible thing after another happened to make the hero's life more hopeless, and the pull up to a bittersweet ending didn't feel especially earned. I also felt like though the author tried to give the female characters some kind of voice, they didn't have a lot of agency, and it had something of the feeling that bad things happened to them to further the hero's angst, not their own stories.
I think this was probably a better movie. In film, the narrative would have been given a bit more speed, and a bit less time for the viewer to feel like this was turning into a sadness wallow. (Or to go, "Oh, come on!" at plot developments.) But I haven't seen it, so maybe not.
belowvaultedsky's review
3.0
6.5/10 - Review at Pages Below the Vaulted Sky
It's been a while since I've read Canadian Aboriginal fiction. The last one had been Green Grass, Running Water from my highschool AP English class. Which was...well, to put it kindly, definitely an experience. A bit of advice for English teachers? It doesn't matter how brilliant you think a book is or how well-read and mature you think your students are. They're still teenagers. If they can't relate to the subject matter (hell, if they can't even figure out what the subject matter is), they're not going to get the most out of the book like you were hoping for.
With that immediate digression out of the way, let's talk about Fire Song!
Fire Song was originally released into the world in the form of an indie film, written and directed by Adam Garnet Jones. Turns out the guy is super multi-talented because his first attempt at a novel isn't too shabby either. The story stars Shane who's lived in an Ontario reserve with his family all his life. Shane has his girlfriend, Tara, but in the past year and a half, a secret relationship began to bloom between him and a boy named David. Despite not being able to disclose his sexuality to his family and friends, the future didn't seem all too bad for Shane. Then his sister Destiny committed suicide. And everything got flipped upside-down.
Shane is a likeable character (at least in the beginning--we'll get back to this in a bit). His efforts to juggle grief, two relationships, and the possibility of a higher education are easy to empathize with. You find yourself rooting for him to find peace and happiness.
I didn't find the side characters all that well-developed, however. The problem is that this is such a short book and we only get small glimpses for most of them. David, for example. There's little to him besides the fact that he's Shane's secret boyfriend and seriously into their ancestral culture. We don't really get to see the qualities that made Shane fall in love with him in the first place.
But what I did love about these teenagers is that they do everything with so much intensity. They lust deeply. They love deeply. And they hurt and get hurt deeply. It's a double-edged sword, this openness--this unrestrained energy--but it's what I think defines teenagehood. And Jones does a terrific job of showing it.
I also loved the contrast between the prose and the subject matter. The latter is stark and doesn't shy away from heavy topics--sex, drugs, drinking, death. It could have easily become an overly grim story if not for the prose. There's such a quiet, dreamy quality to the writing that not only balances out the harshness but softens it out to a manageable level.
The writing is truly great. The author has no shortage of lovely metaphors to describe every emotion and senses.
I also really liked how the story educates you on what a life in rez might be like for Aboriginal youth without sounding like a pamphlet. The injustice and setbacks that these kids face is depicted in the emptiness that follows Destiny's death. In Shane's struggles to help out his mother and pay his way to university at the same time. In the scrapbook of rez kids who have been murdered or committed suicide. In the anger that roils through Shane at the helplessness of it all. These are major issues regarding First Nations communities that plague Canada, one that the government has yet to fully address, and Jones presents them well with a lot of heart and raw emotions.
"But, Kathy, it sounds like you have a truckload of praises for the book. Why the shitty score?"
First of all, 6.5 is not a bad score. Secondly, I did (do) have a lot of praise for the book. But then I got past the halfway mark and things started to...unravel a bit. The chapters alternate from Shane's POV to chapters that are solely diary entries by Tara. From the start, I'm wasn't too keen on the latter. It felt like cheating--telling what the character's really feeling without having to actually show any of it in Shane's narrative. Then out of nowhere comes this one scene near the end, and without getting into spoilers, it was clear that showing so little of Tara outside of the diary was a detrimental decision.
From there, the pacing took a nose-dive and things turned crazy hectic. Shane's personality was all over the place. One minute he's snuggling with David and the next he's pushing him away and planning the world's worst amateur heist and physically threatening an old woman. And all of this was happening in a matter of days. I felt majorly whiplashed; it seemed like there was a large chunk of segue missing between the middle and the end of the story.
The ending is a hopeful one, though. Which I appreciated. And I do love the spotlight shone on the LGBTQ Aboriginal youth of Canada. It's an important story, to be sure, with some issues of execution.
My hope is that stories like these pave the way to similar ones in Canadian literature in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and Annick Press for providing this review copy.
It's been a while since I've read Canadian Aboriginal fiction. The last one had been Green Grass, Running Water from my highschool AP English class. Which was...well, to put it kindly, definitely an experience. A bit of advice for English teachers? It doesn't matter how brilliant you think a book is or how well-read and mature you think your students are. They're still teenagers. If they can't relate to the subject matter (hell, if they can't even figure out what the subject matter is), they're not going to get the most out of the book like you were hoping for.
With that immediate digression out of the way, let's talk about Fire Song!
Fire Song was originally released into the world in the form of an indie film, written and directed by Adam Garnet Jones. Turns out the guy is super multi-talented because his first attempt at a novel isn't too shabby either. The story stars Shane who's lived in an Ontario reserve with his family all his life. Shane has his girlfriend, Tara, but in the past year and a half, a secret relationship began to bloom between him and a boy named David. Despite not being able to disclose his sexuality to his family and friends, the future didn't seem all too bad for Shane. Then his sister Destiny committed suicide. And everything got flipped upside-down.
Shane is a likeable character (at least in the beginning--we'll get back to this in a bit). His efforts to juggle grief, two relationships, and the possibility of a higher education are easy to empathize with. You find yourself rooting for him to find peace and happiness.
I didn't find the side characters all that well-developed, however. The problem is that this is such a short book and we only get small glimpses for most of them. David, for example. There's little to him besides the fact that he's Shane's secret boyfriend and seriously into their ancestral culture. We don't really get to see the qualities that made Shane fall in love with him in the first place.
But what I did love about these teenagers is that they do everything with so much intensity. They lust deeply. They love deeply. And they hurt and get hurt deeply. It's a double-edged sword, this openness--this unrestrained energy--but it's what I think defines teenagehood. And Jones does a terrific job of showing it.
I also loved the contrast between the prose and the subject matter. The latter is stark and doesn't shy away from heavy topics--sex, drugs, drinking, death. It could have easily become an overly grim story if not for the prose. There's such a quiet, dreamy quality to the writing that not only balances out the harshness but softens it out to a manageable level.
Watching the fire grow, Shane feels the presence of his ancestors like an echo behind him. Generations that crouched near the flames and warmed their palms, one after another for tens of thousands of years. He wonders if white people ever feel something like that or if it's just Indians who feel their past and present breathing into each other.
The writing is truly great. The author has no shortage of lovely metaphors to describe every emotion and senses.
I also really liked how the story educates you on what a life in rez might be like for Aboriginal youth without sounding like a pamphlet. The injustice and setbacks that these kids face is depicted in the emptiness that follows Destiny's death. In Shane's struggles to help out his mother and pay his way to university at the same time. In the scrapbook of rez kids who have been murdered or committed suicide. In the anger that roils through Shane at the helplessness of it all. These are major issues regarding First Nations communities that plague Canada, one that the government has yet to fully address, and Jones presents them well with a lot of heart and raw emotions.
"But, Kathy, it sounds like you have a truckload of praises for the book. Why the shitty score?"
First of all, 6.5 is not a bad score. Secondly, I did (do) have a lot of praise for the book. But then I got past the halfway mark and things started to...unravel a bit. The chapters alternate from Shane's POV to chapters that are solely diary entries by Tara. From the start, I'm wasn't too keen on the latter. It felt like cheating--telling what the character's really feeling without having to actually show any of it in Shane's narrative. Then out of nowhere comes this one scene near the end, and without getting into spoilers, it was clear that showing so little of Tara outside of the diary was a detrimental decision.
From there, the pacing took a nose-dive and things turned crazy hectic. Shane's personality was all over the place. One minute he's snuggling with David and the next he's pushing him away and planning the world's worst amateur heist and physically threatening an old woman. And all of this was happening in a matter of days. I felt majorly whiplashed; it seemed like there was a large chunk of segue missing between the middle and the end of the story.
The ending is a hopeful one, though. Which I appreciated. And I do love the spotlight shone on the LGBTQ Aboriginal youth of Canada. It's an important story, to be sure, with some issues of execution.
My hope is that stories like these pave the way to similar ones in Canadian literature in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and Annick Press for providing this review copy.