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trzcuit 's review for:
The Removed
by Brandon Hobson
Thank you Book Of The Month for the early release of this novel!
What I loved : The contemporary story was interspersed with Indigenous lore and was able to show how cultural/religious myths still impact our daily lives, regardless of how prevalent those traditions continue to remain in the community. This story also showcases problems within American society at large but through an Indigenous lens, including police brutality, addiction, and the foster care system, without being disparaging or dismissive. In a way, I found this story to be beautiful in a way that real life is often beautiful; you don't necessarily (or ever, really) get what you want, but at times you get what you need. This story is by no means a fairy tale, but its storytelling devices came together nicely in the end, framed by a few solid character revelations.
What I wish was different : Hobson's writing style struck me as odd - the language felt stilted and awkward at times, especially regarding conversations/dialogue between characters. Part of that was definitely the formatting used for character interactions (not everyone is quoted when they speak, but instead is summarized by the character who is in the 1st person at the time), but in general, I found the prose to be muddled. As with most books that I read that are under 350 pages, I felt like this book stopped short, albeit not as abruptly as I was thinking it would. And while I found the ending to be poetic I felt like the story itself fell victim to a lack of meaningful events.
3 out of 5 stars.
What I loved : The contemporary story was interspersed with Indigenous lore and was able to show how cultural/religious myths still impact our daily lives, regardless of how prevalent those traditions continue to remain in the community. This story also showcases problems within American society at large but through an Indigenous lens, including police brutality, addiction, and the foster care system, without being disparaging or dismissive. In a way, I found this story to be beautiful in a way that real life is often beautiful; you don't necessarily (or ever, really) get what you want, but at times you get what you need. This story is by no means a fairy tale, but its storytelling devices came together nicely in the end, framed by a few solid character revelations.
What I wish was different : Hobson's writing style struck me as odd - the language felt stilted and awkward at times, especially regarding conversations/dialogue between characters. Part of that was definitely the formatting used for character interactions (not everyone is quoted when they speak, but instead is summarized by the character who is in the 1st person at the time), but in general, I found the prose to be muddled. As with most books that I read that are under 350 pages, I felt like this book stopped short, albeit not as abruptly as I was thinking it would. And while I found the ending to be poetic I felt like the story itself fell victim to a lack of meaningful events.
3 out of 5 stars.