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A review by lunabean
Poor Deer by Claire Oshetsky
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
HOW many times in our lives can we chance upon a book this extraordinary!!! I’ve never read anything like this, I haven’t felt so sad to finish a book in so long, I wanted to savour it slowly throughout…!! It was so compelling and creative and painful and explores big themes of grief and trauma and hope in a compact 220 pages❤️🩹
Margaret’s earliest memory is of the day her best friend Agnes died when they were 4 years old. No one knows the truth of what happened except Margaret. The tragic incident has since haunted Margaret for a decade - shame, guilt, and grief plaguing her for years, manifested in a creature called Poor Deer that she carries on her neck and back, burdened and terrified. She grows up haunted by what she’s done, bearing the rumours of the town, and the gradual withdrawal of her mother’s presence and love.
Under the scathing, reproachful eye of Poor Deer, 16 year old Margaret is penning down the truth of the day her friend Agnes died, but she has difficulty differentiating reality from the made-up stories she has been telling herself. Poor Deer is breathing warm air down her neck, chastising her for her “wicked ways” and forcing her to face the truth of that traumatic incident. For years, Margaret has oscillated between alternative happy endings and painful honesty, revealing her desire to control the narrative while she shoulders the burden of her decade-long sorrow over losing her friend.
This story boldly shows us humanity, the many ways a child is dear, and the power of forgiveness and hope. I found Margaret to be very loveable, largely because the writer did such a great job depicting the evolution of the thoughts and emotions of a confused 4 year old girl grappling with trauma and big feelings, to a wiser 16 year old girl finally courageous enough to forgive herself.
The writing is simple, honest, and beautiful, the sentences short but so evocative and powerful. I was immersed throughout and I couldn’t see this story written in any other way. What an incredible, moving book I WANT TO READ THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN😭😭😭
Margaret’s earliest memory is of the day her best friend Agnes died when they were 4 years old. No one knows the truth of what happened except Margaret. The tragic incident has since haunted Margaret for a decade - shame, guilt, and grief plaguing her for years, manifested in a creature called Poor Deer that she carries on her neck and back, burdened and terrified. She grows up haunted by what she’s done, bearing the rumours of the town, and the gradual withdrawal of her mother’s presence and love.
Under the scathing, reproachful eye of Poor Deer, 16 year old Margaret is penning down the truth of the day her friend Agnes died, but she has difficulty differentiating reality from the made-up stories she has been telling herself. Poor Deer is breathing warm air down her neck, chastising her for her “wicked ways” and forcing her to face the truth of that traumatic incident. For years, Margaret has oscillated between alternative happy endings and painful honesty, revealing her desire to control the narrative while she shoulders the burden of her decade-long sorrow over losing her friend.
This story boldly shows us humanity, the many ways a child is dear, and the power of forgiveness and hope. I found Margaret to be very loveable, largely because the writer did such a great job depicting the evolution of the thoughts and emotions of a confused 4 year old girl grappling with trauma and big feelings, to a wiser 16 year old girl finally courageous enough to forgive herself.
The writing is simple, honest, and beautiful, the sentences short but so evocative and powerful. I was immersed throughout and I couldn’t see this story written in any other way. What an incredible, moving book I WANT TO READ THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN😭😭😭