A review by brooketreads
Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson

challenging dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Just know that this is not a happy story. As a mother (with a teen boy), this was heart wrenching. I had to read this slowly in pieces, and I honestly felt stressed reading it and nearly DNFed. This story is so raw, and at times weird and dark (the dog scene 😤). There was a hauntingly beautiful line about when people die the others are left to live with the burdened of the inescapable. The scene where Sequoyah goes to visit his mom was so incredibly sad. She told him he wouldn’t visit her in the future😣. I did find some of the situations/ scenes uncomfortable (the sexualization element because the character is young - but yes I understand it’s realistic).

This book deals with hard topics surrounding alcoholism and foster care from the Indigenous perspective.

Author Brandon Hobson is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation Tribe of Oklahoma.
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