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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation
medium-paced
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
dark
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:
No
The “antidote” of the title refers to one of this novel’s main characters, Antonia Rossi, who is a prairie witch: you can tell her something you don’t want to remember, and she’ll keep the memory for you, until you’re ready to withdraw it from her bank. Until a huge dust storm hits the small town of Uz, Nebraska; after the storm, she’s lost everyone’s memories. But the story isn’t just Toni’s. We also get to hear from Dell, a first generation immigrant to Nebraska, his niece Dell, who loves basketball, and Cleo, a new-deal photographer with a haunted camera. We also hear from a scarecrow. And a cat.
This is a wide-ranging book that covers a lot of issues, but I loved it most for the way it pushes back against the traditional “western expansion” narrative. America is promised as a new land full of opportunities for Europeans, but it holds the same traps of wealth, race, oppression—now coupled with a decimated land. It nods a bit to The Wizard of Oz and the story of Job, as well as the works of Willa Cather, but is its own thing entirely. I will not forget this book’s central idea, which is that we, as regular people, are unwittingly part of the government’s larger schemes.
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
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:
Complicated