A review by psalm1003
Daughters of the Deer by Danielle Daniel

dark sad slow-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? It's complicated

2.0

This book was very depressing and the pacing was disjointed. Many characters were one-dimensional with minimal explanation for why they did what they did and would drastically change from one page to the next. The book offered a perspective on the indigenous queer experience but in my opinion lacked nuance to truly present that experience in its fullness. It felt like miserable experience after miserable experience for the non-white and LGBTQ+ characters. The white people and church were caricaturistic villains lacking any humanity. Again, no nuance. I found Marie’s perspective to be the most consistent and interesting. I appreciated the presentation of community and the mother-daughter connection that develops. The ending was very anti-climactic and sad. I’m not sure if I can say this book provided representation of the indigenous experience and I wonder if other works by native and/or queer authors would do a better job. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings