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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoyed this YA mystery thriller. I think this will get compared a lot to Firekeeper's Daughter due to the Native American main characters and murder mystery aspects, and there were parts that did remind me of this story (I'd definitely recommend this one to high schoolers not quite ready for Firekeeper's Daughter), it is still a unique story. You get the perspectives of four teenagers who are tangentially related to a missing girl on the reservation when another girl turns up dead, and they all become suspects. There were some times were it dragged on a little too long, but overall it was a real page turner to the end, which only felt slightly underwhelming in its resolution to me (but that might be more about my current reading mood than its actual execution).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
slow-paced
challenging
dark
tense
Teen angst vibes through this book, but the mystery has a good pace and I liked the characters. Four perspectives rotate so the reader sees multiple perspectives. The main theme of this mystery is the disappearance of one young Blackfeet girl several months ago, and the murder of another during a powwow. Four teenagers are caught up in the investigation, among other suspects.
I did not care for the choice of criminal at the end. While the story addresses not only the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women issue, and it also tackles drugs and dysfunctional families, I felt the ultimate perpetrator(s) got the short end of the stick. They were in a pretty sad situation themselves. I DID love who ended up wrapping up at least part of the case in a fifth perspective at the very end. So, you know, some parts I loved and some parts I didn't, but the audiobook kept me engaged. It took me longer to distinguish between the two women narrators than it did between the two male narrators, but overall the cast was great.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Everyone needs to read this! Though it's being marketed for YA readers, it's for sure also for adult readers. We need more awareness of the murdered and missing indigenous women because this needs to stop. The story was really well written and moved at a good pace. Pay attention to the dates and times written under each name heading! Don't let the Unknown character's point of view keep you from being immersed in this powerful story.