A review by bookdragon217
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

"Sometimes you risk everything for a life worth living, even if you're not the one that'll be alive to live it."

Cherie Dimaline does it again. The Marrow Thieves was a fantastic ride I did not want to end. Dimaline's writing is so captivating that you have no choice but to follow where she's taking you. Her imagery and prose are so vivid you are propelled into the action of the story. Dimaline is becoming one of my favorite authors and I will buy anything she writes going forward.

What I love the most about Dimaline's writing is her love of Indigenous people, the way she spreads the truth about their history and the moments of hope interspersed in between. This was a dystopian tale but she maintained the importance of community, traditions and found family. From the very beginning I was invested in their survival. The writing is so mesmerizing I was hanging on every word and detail. I really appreciated their growth and how they weren't all written as a monolith. 

The dystopian tale was written as a reminder that the murder and commodification of Indigenous bodies is not new and continues to evolve into different things because of capitalism and settler colonialism. This story highlights the ways that Indigenous people continue to survive and pave a way into the future by holding on to their ancestral ways.

Main themes that resonated were:
💥 Indigenous genocide is not over
💥 Settler colonialism continues to displace Indigenous people from their land and deprive them of resources 
💥 Erasure of Indigenous culture continues to be a violent process 
💥 Community is the backbone of society
💥 Found family doesn't replace blood family but is still just as valuable
💥 Ancestral knowledge is priceless and offers survival tactics
💥 What is happening to Indigenous people today is dystopia
💥 Love can grow in the darkest of places
💥 To be an ally, you have to be willing  to die with those you are trying to save
The Marrow Thieves finished in a way that provided some relief but left a reminder that the journey was just beginning. For Indigenous people, the future is unknown but their will and ability to survive is unmatched. Grab yourself a copy of this one ASAP.

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