bittennailbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
If you are a fan of "The Only Good Indians" by Stephen Graham Jones, here is your next read. For being from 2018, Rice certainly predicts the future of post-pandemic ideologies, mass panic, and bleak survival. A devastating read about a power outage in a remote reserve and the surrounding area. This book does an incredible job about discussing the impacts of racism, residential schools, community, and trauma within the stories context of survival.
Thumbs up: One thing I've been sitting with since finishing this surprisingly short book is Rice's incredible way of not demonizing those who have been deeply impacted or removed from traditional ways of knowing. That there were serious and ongoing impacts of colonization and fleshes out the reasons that the conditions and plot (without spoiling it) resulted in how they did in the novel. The discussions of how ripping one from one's culture creates a reliance on oppressive structures that lead to the novels incredible conclusion.
Thumbs down: If you're looking for romantic prose, you will not find it here. The writing is very straight forward and overtly descriptive. However, that's certainly not a turn of for me with this novel.
Was it a nail biter? Absolutely, I devoured this book in one sitting and think it absolutely deserves space on your shelf at home.
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, and Racism
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Spoiler content warning:Spoiler
Cannibalismmaregred's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Gun violence, Cannibalism, and Blood
cait's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Minor: Xenophobia, Murder, Racism, Blood, Animal death, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Grief, and Violence
aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition
3.5
It was overall quick, but for me, slow to start. I loved the premise and loved the way the dreams people had foreshadowed the story throughout. Also enjoyed the focus on how a First Nations community dealt with an apocalyptic situation since we usually get big city, white people POVs.
I wish we had a little bit more on the motivation of the first stranger arriving at the community and how the community dealt with the aftermath. But I did enjoy the focus on community traditions and the social commentary about how first nation's/indigenous peoples are treated today.
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, and Animal death
Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Racism, Injury/injury detail, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Violence
Minor: Blood and Cannibalism
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Death, Animal death, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Injury/injury detail, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Body horror, Colonisation, and Drug use
Minor: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Suicide, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Child death, and War
notthatlibrarian's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Graphic: Murder and Grief
Moderate: Racism, Colonisation, Cannibalism, and Suicide
arsenic_'s review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Cannibalism and Death
Moderate: Colonisation
agnesa_ast's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Spoiler
the plot twist of justin scott being cannibal was such a poetic representation of how assimilation worked in the past/present - it would literally feed and eat away indigenous culture. CHILLS.Moderate: Blood, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Colonisation, and Violence
Minor: Cursing
schuy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Moderate: Colonisation, Cannibalism, and Death
kstericker's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Murder, Blood, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Cannibalism, and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Colonisation, Suicide, and Racism