talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
The writing ranges from dry to pointedly (in other words, unnaturally) quotable, and the dialogue is somehow even more stilted and unrealistically grammatically flawless than the narration. A few spoken lines toward the end literally go on uninterrupted and with no stuttering or backtracking for 100+ words; virtually no one, let alone who's suffered recent repeated physical trauma, is that eloquent. Information is revealed in stilted blocks and repeated ten times over. I don't think any teenager -- or person at all -- in the history of cell phones has ever texted like the teenagers in this book are written as doing.
In terms of substance, there's a lot left to be desired as well. All of the individual narrative threads -- or at least most of them -- would make interesting stories, but here they're all kind of crammed into one unbalanced mess. Is the central plot supposed to be Daunis's complex relationship with her family members and community? Her desire to pursue a career in medicine/science and unite traditional and more modern "scientific" practices? Her recovering from and learning about the factors leading up to her best friend's sudden, tragic death? Her role as an undercover informant in an FBI investigation involving meth and her community (as much suspension of disbelief as that requires)? Her and Jamie's relationship? A general critical overview of the treatment of Indigenous women in American and Canadian society? It's never really decided, and so we jump awkwardly from one to the other without more natural transitions or better multitasking, leading to really overall odd pacing.
The general emotional pacing never quite hits either. A significant medical detail about the protagonist is made explicit for the first time 70% in and never serves any real relevance (and is outright contradicted or ignored at other times). Major traumatic events like the murder of Daunis's best friend and
Spoiler
her being raped by a friend's fatherThe characters -- including, perhaps especially Daunis -- lack depth, whittled down to one trait (not even one that is shown, but told... multiple times). The supporting cast especially kind of blends together as a result of that weird pacing and unrealistic, stilted dialogue. I couldn't get a real sense of any of their motivations, so the culprit reveal and relationships all feel more than lackluster. In that regard, the romance is particularly egregious, even putting aside the core issues with
Spoiler
a relationship between a 22-year-old government agent (as much questionable as that is in and of itself) and an 18-year-old college student he's directly supervising in an investigationOverall, quite disappointing execution of multiple interesting premises, and I remain bewildered by the overwhelmingly positive response. Perhaps it was a great book for many others, but nothing about it ended up clicking or sitting well with me.
(Also, urine, even your own, is not actually sterile! Please do not use it as a substitute for hydrogen peroxide. I know this is set in 2004 -- as little as there is to solidly ground it there -- and a lot of people believe that myth even today, but it just feels... irresponsible to include in a book like this, especially framed as an objective valuable fact.)
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Violence, Addiction, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, and Racism
Moderate: Death of parent, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Infidelity, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Car accident, and Child abuse
margaret_k30's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Drug abuse, Racism, Death of parent, and Addiction
Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexism, Vomit, Rape, Physical abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, Violence, and Abandonment
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Car accident, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Medical content, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, and Body shaming
erebus53's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
She is plugging on with things despite her favourite uncle having died, her grandmother being in palliative care, injuries having taken her off the ice, and having to make some hard decisions. There is a new guy in her brother's team, from out of town, and she is roped in to be his Ambassador and show him around.. but no she is NOT interested in dating "hockey guys". One of her childhood friends seems to have started relying meth. He's acting erratic and this is just the start of some life threatening chaos.
This is only the second book I have ever read that focuses on the Anishinaabeg (Nish) people of North America, in the area of the Great Lakes where arbitrary laws of settlers divide the people by a geo-political border between Canada and USA.
The main character is curious and scientific and super geeky, hoping to get into medical training. I personally love all her scientific naming of things, as that hits me where I live, and the puzzle solving she does is laid out and methodical so that the reader isn't left behind if things start getting complex. Her work on traditional indigenous medicine and scientific exploration describes a fusion between traditional practice and modern life; that both are valuable and do not deny each other.
I notice that this is, thematically, a very crepuscular book. Most of it is set in morning and evening, with young people and elders, and during the months of spring and autumn/fall, when the mushrooms abound — times of change, for looking back and forward; reviewing and planning. It also considers setting and respecting personal boundaries, and our decisions and their repercussions.. all this with a main character who seeks to understand herself, her values, her peoples and their history... and to understand how love can work when you don't always agree with another person. It's pretty rich.
Honestly though.. this book is gripping. There are continual revelations and twists, but they aren't weird or arbitrary. I wanted to know more and did not want to put it down. Every time something big happened I had to remind myself to take a time out to savour it.
Graphic: Rape, Drug use, Sexual content, Racism, Violence, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Infidelity, Addiction, Pedophilia, and Vomit
aasiy4h's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Kidnapping
Minor: Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Body shaming, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
ellabean's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, and Racial slurs
ryanbookemoji'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
3.0
Moderate: Addiction and Drug use
Minor: Pedophilia and Rape
peachani's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Car accident, Confinement, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Grief, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Trafficking
Moderate: Stalking, Violence, Death of parent, Drug use, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, and Rape
Minor: Dysphoria, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Alcohol, Murder, Vomit, Body shaming, and Alcoholism
hotbitch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Murder, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pedophilia, Addiction, Child death, Car accident, Child abuse, Drug use, Grief, Racism, Trafficking, Homophobia, Rape, and Violence
emma3674's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Drug abuse, Death, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Cursing, Gun violence, Suicide, Addiction, Rape, and Vomit
singingshooter's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, and Rape
Moderate: Colonisation
Minor: Drug use, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, and Sexual harassment