A review by skrrtvonnegut
There There by Tommy Orange

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.0

This one felt like it was over before it even started! A great testament to Tommy Orange's first novel, which is a propulsive set of stories all headed toward one pre-determined event or conclusion. I really appreciate how he creates a kind of sense of chaos, especially in the final act, which is written in such a believable and frightening confusion, but also the mixing of points of view, bouncing between first, third, and even second, creates a kind of blurred sense of selves among the characters, which I find very effective. He tells a story of disparate individuals all set on the same or similar paths, and it doesn't feel too forced at any point as he establishes these connections, and I definitely think the quick bouncing back and forth between POVs helps achieve this. It was great to get a Native story in an urban context, something that Orange obviously finds a very important version of these peoples' stories to be told, and not one I've seen done much in the past.