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unusualspring 's review for:
Poor Deer
by Claire Oshetsky
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Poor Deer is a strange little book, about a strange little girl. It's a little more about the themes than it is the characters themselves, or about what happens--but that makes sense, because so much of the story hinges on how our memories form and the stories we tell ourselves to feel better.
Margaret Murphey is 4 years old when her best friend Agnes dies in a tragic accident that Margaret has a hand in. Over the next several years, all the way to young adulthood, Margaret is deeply affected by her memories of the accident. Her mother refuses to talk about it, and Margaret is largely shunned by the community. She is left unable to process her grief and is tailed by a physical manifestation of it, a creature she calls Poor Deer. In present day, Margaret is in a hotel room with a couple of strangers she rescued, trying to tell herself the truth of what happened when she was 4-years-old, with the guidence of Poor Deer.
This story obviously touches on a lot of themes, including grief, parental neglect, and depression. There are lighter moments, and glimmers of hope, but it's by no means a light-hearted read. I enjoy books like this, so I was pleased with Poor Deer overall. Sometimes it was slow, or meandered a bit too much for my taste. It also took me a little while to get into, but the middle section was really solid. I'd say the beginning and the end I enjoyed a little less.
Margaret Murphey is 4 years old when her best friend Agnes dies in a tragic accident that Margaret has a hand in. Over the next several years, all the way to young adulthood, Margaret is deeply affected by her memories of the accident. Her mother refuses to talk about it, and Margaret is largely shunned by the community. She is left unable to process her grief and is tailed by a physical manifestation of it, a creature she calls Poor Deer. In present day, Margaret is in a hotel room with a couple of strangers she rescued, trying to tell herself the truth of what happened when she was 4-years-old, with the guidence of Poor Deer.
This story obviously touches on a lot of themes, including grief, parental neglect, and depression. There are lighter moments, and glimmers of hope, but it's by no means a light-hearted read. I enjoy books like this, so I was pleased with Poor Deer overall. Sometimes it was slow, or meandered a bit too much for my taste. It also took me a little while to get into, but the middle section was really solid. I'd say the beginning and the end I enjoyed a little less.