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plutojette's review
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, Racism, Genocide, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Suicide, Police brutality, Death, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Racial slurs, Rape, Ableism, Animal death, Religious bigotry, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Antisemitism and Alcoholism
avisreadsandreads's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Confinement, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Murder, Racial slurs, Stalking, Animal death, Suicide, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Antisemitism and War
thesapphiccelticbookworm'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? No
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Colonisation, Genocide, and Medical content
Moderate: Rape, Slavery, and Antisemitism
hannahmayreads'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? No
4.0
There is a menacing presence always lurking in this book, and that presence is generally white people. The well-meaning and the pure evil. Birch is very clever in the way he shows us that there is no singular Aboriginal experience in living with this presence. There are a number of characters, such as Wanda the hotel receptionist whose story we do learn and Michael from the Welfare Board office who we can only speculate about, who appear only briefly yet they perfectly illustrate this point. Odette and Sissy's story is central, but the these other characters paint a fuller picture.
It's a story of good and evil, and good wins out in its own way in the end. And while there is so much pain, there is also so much love. There is hope in love, and while love doesn't absolve the pain it gives people a chance at living.
Graphic: Grief, Racism, Suicide, and Colonisation
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, and Rape
Minor: Antisemitism