Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

11 reviews

whitneyonline's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• 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

5.0

What a beautiful book about identity, spirituality, family, and community. A recurring theme throughout is Virgil's disconnect and disbelief in the "traditional ways" and spirituality of the Lakota. He feels strong ties to his community which keeps him from leaving the rez, but otherwise he's not sure what he believes in, ultimately thinking most of it is a sham. He grapples with the pain and suffering of his ancestors and how those struggles are mirrored in the lives of Lakotas today. Yes, there are thrills, but ultimately that's not the focus of the book. Everything comes full circle at the end and it is utterly beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Torture, Car accident, Racial slurs, Racism, Bullying, Genocide, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Grief

just dark themes in general. Virgil goes into detail about many of the cases that he has taken on, which basically always includes physical abuse, substance dependency, sexual assualt of adults and minors, child neglect. etc. It's a great book but please be careful <3

tlaynejones's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Trafficking, Gun violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Child death, Suicide, Racial slurs, Violence, Drug use, Bullying, Child abuse, and Colonisation

summerb's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Addiction, Blood, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, Alcohol, Bullying, Cancer, Colonisation, Cursing, Death of parent, and Violence

Minor: Domestic abuse, War, Bullying, Cancer, Infidelity, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Classism, Colonisation, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Cultural appropriation, Excrement, Panic attacks/disorders, Genocide, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, and Police brutality

brycestevenwilley's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Really well written, tons of great ideas and through-threads. It can be a little slow at times, but each chapter does play an important in moving the story and its characters forward. 

Only downside is that it is extremely violent; it's definitely the intention, but it was a bit too much for me at times, if I wasn't reading as an audio book, I would have had to stop. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Drug use, Colonisation, Violence, Torture, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, and Genocide

Moderate: Suicide, Car accident, Grief, Cancer, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Bullying, Medical trauma, and Hate crime

jess_d84's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Violence

Moderate: Suicide, Colonisation, Addiction, and Racism

Minor: Rape

bootsmom3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Racism, Kidnapping, Murder, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Cultural appropriation, Blood, Drug use, Grief, Colonisation, Death, and Genocide

Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Animal death, and Sexual assault

golderest's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation and Grief

Moderate: Death, Violence, Kidnapping, and Racism

Minor: Drug use, Torture, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

shelleyanderson4127's review against another edition

dark informative 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? Yes

4.0

 I gobbled this mystery down. set on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, it's a fast-paced thriller with lots of details about life today on a Lakota rez.

Virgil Wounded Horse is a complicated man who metes out just when the tribal council and US legal system can't. Someone is selling heroin on the reservation, and when Virgil's own nephew overdoses, Virgil makes it his mission to find and stop the dealers.

Very good writing abut the land, different concepts of justice, and the convoluted legal systems on many Native reservations which deny indigenous people justice. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, and Colonisation

voxelbee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Child death, Addiction, and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, and Torture

Minor: Racial slurs, Colonisation, Bullying, Car accident, and Genocide

maregred's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Bullying, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Suicide