Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

The Removed by Brandon Hobson

15 reviews

catsbreadbikes's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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semeyers's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this book, but I can see why the reviews for it are so middling. This is definitely not a book for everyone, you're either going to love it or hate it.

It is a moody, atmospheric, and character driven novel. It is a swiftly flowing book that weaves together the present with the past, both recent and far back, while still remaining very much a "slice of life" of each character. It combines modern ideals with Cherokee myth. It does not give everything away. The endings for each of the characters are ambiguous and leave the reader to fill in many of the blanks. Of the stories, I really found Sonia and Tsala's the most compelling, though Edgar's chapters had me at the edge of my seat.

This was a quicker read and I highly recommend it giving it a shot even if it doesn't seem appealing to you.

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readingwithkaitlyn's review

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reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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blackcatkai's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

CW: racism, casual ableism, police brutality  gun violence, murder, child death, drug/alcohol use, addiction, violence, animal death, grief, physical/sexual assault, mental illness

not my usual genre, so it took a bit for me to get into, but thats absolutely not the books fault. its a heartbreaking and great novel about a family navigating their grief after the death of their son/brother at the hands of a cop. it handles a lot of rough topics so tread carefully. if you're in any way interested, absolutely read it.

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betsygrace's review

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challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I really enjoyed this. I love reading Indigenous authors and think the author did a really great job of depicting generational trauma. This gave me the same feelings I got when I read There, There by Tommy Orange. 

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kimveach's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is a very different sort of book but I ended up liking it. Parts of it are a straightforward plot about a family is trying to heal from a tragedy. Another part includes an ancestor talking about The Trail of Tears' removal of the Cherokees from their land. And the last part is about the living son's struggles with drug addiction but is told as a visit to a "darkening land".

I didn't understand all of it while I was reading it. I wish I had read this article from NPR first:  
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/02/963361391/author-brandon-hobson-on-his-new-novel-the-removed

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caitlynes91's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5


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leahrosereads's review

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dark 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

5.0

This was an absolutely stunning, fascinating story.  Loved the different POVs and don't think I could pick a favorite.  Each enhanced the story and gave such fantastic insight to the family's dynamic.  And the fantastical elements were such a great addition.  

The conversation around grief and how it affects everyone differently was also excellently handled.

Cannot gush enough about this one!

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literarylion's review

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dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

Pros:
  • flawless incorporation of Cherokee legend into a modern-day story
  • each of the perspectives were developed and distinct from one another while still maintaining an underlying narrative thread
  • striking imagery

Cons:
  • it's being marketed as a horror novel, but I wouldn't classify it that way
  • the sci-fi/fantasy element in Edgar's story seemed incongruous at times

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booksbutmakeitgay's review

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challenging emotional medium-paced

4.0


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