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A review by alyssabookrecs
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed reading this. I can see how others would not (there were some aspects that had me questioning, such as the romance between the narrator and a supporting character), but overall this was a 4.5 ⭐️ read, if not a 5 ⭐️ read.
I believe that this book is not meant to have a fully closed conclusion. The arc of the book does not operate like the arc of other YA dystopian/post-apocalyptic books. Instead, we are witness to the lives of Indigenous youth, new adults, and Elders on the run, as we learn their coming to stories, who they meet along the way, and the loss not only in the moment but also in the years being on the run.
I questioned French being the narrator, but ultimately he proved that not all of narration needs to be “do do do”: it is also learning, observing, synthesizing, building trust.
I bawled like a baby at the end. It was really lovely, the last few chapters.
I believe that this book is not meant to have a fully closed conclusion. The arc of the book does not operate like the arc of other YA dystopian/post-apocalyptic books. Instead, we are witness to the lives of Indigenous youth, new adults, and Elders on the run, as we learn their coming to stories, who they meet along the way, and the loss not only in the moment but also in the years being on the run.
I questioned French being the narrator, but ultimately he proved that not all of narration needs to be “do do do”: it is also learning, observing, synthesizing, building trust.
I bawled like a baby at the end. It was really lovely, the last few chapters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Trafficking, War, Genocide, and Racism