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4.0

A tense page-turner inspired by the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women, this novel blends Indigenous folklore with a relentless plot. Told through alternating timelines, this is a timely commentary on the treatment and perceptions of Indigenous girls and women.

While a newly-built casino and hotel on the fictional Takoda reserve brought monetary gain to some, it also created rifts in the community and opened the door to further exploitation of their most vulnerable. While the wealthy and entitled come to play, Anna Horn and her younger sister, Grace, work as housekeepers, cleaning up after them, literally at their beck and call.

A social pariah in her high school, Anna is implied to be Two-Spirit, "seeing through all eyes and living not as one or the other but as both". Growing up, Anna has always been haunted by the gruesome story about the disappearance of Miss Shelby, their community's knowledge keeper. While the sisters have always been close, Grace is desperate to fit in and starts to push Anna away. When Grace becomes the latest in a string of young women to disappear from the hotel, Anna will stop at nothing to seek answers.

The cruelty of high school is juxtaposed against the harshness of the adult world, predatory boys who grow into predatory men. Anna and Grace are, in their own ways, subjected to unchecked misogyny, bullying, and victim blaming. We also see the trauma and grief that families who have lost daughters, sisters, granddaughters, go through as they try to seek answers. Overall, a compelling read and an impressive debut.