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A review by year23
This Town Sleeps by Dennis E. Staples
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
I think this is a debut novel from this author and WOW. I loved it - wasn't expecting the mix of genres (I'd call this speculative fiction) but when it's done well (and it is here!), it's powerful and memorable.
This reads sort of like a set of short stories, but I think the writing does an excellent job of weaving them together and keeping the story moving forward through the MC. An exploration of the complex stories of different families/individuals on an Ojibwe reservation. You meet the MC, Marion, who is aimless, in a liminal moment, who, through a hook up, ends up on a journey that helps bring clarity to other stories as well as clarity & meaning for Marion.
It's the queer mid-life equivalent of a coming of age story meets a ghost story meets quest journey. Most of all, this is a profoundly empathetic character study of the MC and the people in his life - sharing about the joys and grief/pain of this section of the Ojibwe community.
Highly recommend!
This reads sort of like a set of short stories, but I think the writing does an excellent job of weaving them together and keeping the story moving forward through the MC. An exploration of the complex stories of different families/individuals on an Ojibwe reservation. You meet the MC, Marion, who is aimless, in a liminal moment, who, through a hook up, ends up on a journey that helps bring clarity to other stories as well as clarity & meaning for Marion.
It's the queer mid-life equivalent of a coming of age story meets a ghost story meets quest journey. Most of all, this is a profoundly empathetic character study of the MC and the people in his life - sharing about the joys and grief/pain of this section of the Ojibwe community.
Highly recommend!