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A review by bondracstudios
Vandemere by Kimberley D. Tait
2.0
Summary
Vandemere is a coming-of-age story about a teenage boy living in 1930s Southwest America, working for a two-bit circus as a trick pony-rider. Caught between the legacies of his parents, he struggles to find his identity between the two scraps of his ancestry that he’s still connected to out on the touring circuit. He takes his estranged father’s name and all the tricks he took the time to teach him, performing as Vandy Davidson; but he can’t deny his Romanian roots. Especially as the magie he inherits from his mother allows him to finally confront the evil that followed his family’s emigration from Romania. Following the disappearance and death of a child who had been visiting the circus, Vandy’s special gifts come under scrutiny. He must grapple with the where he belongs and whether he can trust his magie.
What We Like
The Narrator - At first, we were concerned that Kyle Shive’s voice might be too mature for Vandemere’s teenage character. Rich and smooth it may be, but that typically isn’t how we think of most 16/17 year old boys. However, he grew on us as the voice of Vandemere. With skillful transitioning between narrative and dialogue, he gives personality to Vandy’s moments of teen angst and distinction to side characters.
The Memories - Vandy’s retellings of significant moments in his life, like when his dad proclaimed he would be a trick rider and subsequently his dad’s abandonment of their family, are heartbreaking. They are deftly woven into significant moments of the story without it feeling like a disruption to the momentum of the plot.
The Circus - We wanted more of the circus life! The glimpses into the other performers and interactions between them left us wanting more!
The Memories - Vandy’s retellings of significant moments in his life, like when his dad proclaimed he would be a trick rider and subsequently his dad’s abandonment of their family, are heartbreaking. They are deftly woven into significant moments of the story without it feeling like a disruption to the momentum of the plot.
The Circus - We wanted more of the circus life! The glimpses into the other performers and interactions between them left us wanting more!
Real Talk
The Magic - The rules of magie are a little unclear. Vandy is able see visions of events that occurred in a person’s past and seems to have an intuition he himself doesn’t quite understand. Despite having his mother living with him at the circus, she is cryptic at best when discussing the magie. The curse and shadowed spectre that threaten him are described, but not necessarily explained.
The Ending - Understanding that there is a sequel (‘Fire Horse’), this ending still feels too abrupt. It lacks resolution in a way that makes it feel like a single book has been split in half, rather than resolution to book one that bring larger questions to answer in Book 2.
The G Word - Time for some really real talk and some spoilers to give the context... We, at BonDrac Studios, are not experts in Romani culture. However, we’ve done some learning and listening to those from Romani backgrounds, and what we’ve learned is enough to have concerns over some of this book’s content.Starting with ‘The G Word.’ While the author does indicate multiple times that it is used as a slur, and it is likely this slur would have been used during the time-period, it doesn’t seem like enough care has been given to protect those of Romani ancestry from harmful stereotypes. Vandy’s mother is portrayed as promiscuous and an addict after his father leaves. There is some indication this is a result of the family curse, but it doesn’t look great to have characters who self-proclaim themselves as part of a culture that has been persecuted, to have stereotypical behaviors that oppressive groups used as justification for said persecution. Similarly, the disappearance and murder of a child is linked to Vandy. While he does not have any connection to the harm done to the child, again, this is a stereotype that is pervasive and harmful to those of Romani ancestry. The real sticking point is that the author continuously refers to Vandy and his mother as ‘Romanian.’ This gives us pause. Telling a story of persecution with contextualized details of how stereotypes impact a given oppressed population is perfectly reasonable. But not if the author does not have understanding of the population in question. Romanians and Romani are NOT the same. While some Romani live in Romania, the Roma ethnicity and culture have entirely different ancestral roots, language, and culture from Romanians. The fact that this distinction is not made in this book is root of our discomfort and the main driver of the rating we feel compelled to give.
The Ending - Understanding that there is a sequel (‘Fire Horse’), this ending still feels too abrupt. It lacks resolution in a way that makes it feel like a single book has been split in half, rather than resolution to book one that bring larger questions to answer in Book 2.
The G Word - Time for some really real talk and some spoilers to give the context... We, at BonDrac Studios, are not experts in Romani culture. However, we’ve done some learning and listening to those from Romani backgrounds, and what we’ve learned is enough to have concerns over some of this book’s content.
Book Dragon Rating
The unfortunate use of Romani culture and persecution, with the (less significant but still relevant) poorly formed ending have lead us to giving 2/5 Book Dragons. There is an interesting circus-related story to be told here, but it needs more development and a sensitivity review.