Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Calling for a Blanket Dance by Oscar Hokeah

19 reviews

aweekinthelife's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.5

a story told through time from different perspectives (reminded me a little of Homegoing but more overlapping). it felt a little bit slow at first, but then i got really invested in their stories and the story sucked me in through the end. the story was often about the characters finding their way through the heartbreaking and complex things that they cause, that happen to them, and that happen around them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism

Minor: Child death

readersreadingnook's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Child death, Hate crime, Police brutality, and Self harm

lindsayerin's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Child death, and Police brutality

ulogil's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcoholism, Drug use, Medical content, Self harm, Chronic illness, Addiction, Vomit, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Colonisation, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, and Death

Minor: Suicide attempt

dakotahreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Drug use

caidyn's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.75

What a compelling, fast read. I loved how the story was carried by so many people who had their own perspectives. This was just excellent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Police brutality

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-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

4.0

 Calling for a Blanket Dance is the story of Ever Geimausaddle, a young man of Kiowa, Cherokee and Mexican ancestry. It follows him from infancy through to middle age and unfolds in a series of chronological vignettes or short stories, each one told from the perspective of one of his relatives - his mother, grandparents, aunts and uncles, sister and cousins. It is only in the final section that we hear directly from Ever himself. I thought this was an effective way of telling his story since it placed him firmly within the context of his family and all the events and traumas which affected them contributed to his life and upbringing, impacting the person he became. Seeing a person through the eyes of others also reveals layers of their personality that they might not be aware of or choose not to reveal. Ever’s was a hard life - racism, poverty, police brutality, and addiction all played a role - and undoubtedly Ever made some poor choices along the way but in the final chapter there is definitely some redemption and Ever has clearly made peace with the past, his demons and himself. Generational trauma seems to be a recurring theme in books and I loved that here it was balanced with generational healing, pride and hope as many members of Ever’s family and Ever himself made real efforts to improve the lives of the young people in their lives and the wider community as well. The family and broader community were struggling, but they were also sources of support, knowledge, love and acceptance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Addiction

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

 - CALLING FOR A BLANKET DANCE tells the story of Ever over decades of his life and through the eyes of his relatives.
- The way the many voices of this book weave together is masterful. Each perspective gave more dimension and life not only to Ever but to everyone and everywhere in his life.
- It's alternately uplifting and heartbreaking, watching these characters hurt each other while struggling to break cycles of trauma, but ultimately coming together to try again because their love stretches back generations. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Colonisation, Addiction, Cursing, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Grief, Medical content, Self harm, and Vomit

schnurln's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective 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

4.75

Oof.

My only issue was that we never really saw when/how Ever started making changes in his life/person, just that it was sometime after he got his check and before they had Baby Turtle.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Child death

Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Drug abuse, and Self harm

Minor: Vomit

Generational trauma