Reviews tagging 'Cultural appropriation'

Better the Blood by Michael Bennett

1 review

rowanhill's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative mysterious reflective 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

4.5

Tying New Zealand’s dark colonial past to the social injustices of the present, this race to stop a serial killer becomes about much more than keeping the streets of Auckland safe. As someone unfamiliar with New Zealand and Māori history, I found this exploration both heartfelt and captivating. The characters are well realized and are great examples of people who have experienced significant challenges that have changed them without breaking them. Though the mystery of the serial killer remains at the center of the story, it is not the true heart of it and it gets a little lost at times in the other things going on. This is definitely still a mystery/thriller story, but there’s a lot more to it than readers of this genre might expect. 

Detective Senior Sergeant Hana Westerman is one of the best in Auckland’s police force. When she gets a mysterious email leading her to a dead body hanging in a long abandoned building, Hana already knows she’s in for an unusual case. But as the body count begins to rise, Hana finds herself in a race to stop a serial killer with only an old Daguerreotype image from the colonization of New Zealand as a clue. Solving the case will mean digging into Auckland’s, and her own, dark past and make Hana examine her Māori identity closer than she has in a long time. 

This book goes above and beyond the typical mystery/thriller story and provides a wonderful examination of some of the social issues and inequalities that continue to exist as remnants of colonization. Being both Māori and part of the Auckland police force, Hana Westerman finds herself between worlds and her own struggles with her identity and choices adds a lot of complexity to this story. The other characters are equally interesting and contribute to this examination both in their actions and interactions with each other. The author himself is Māori, but he also manages to make the lessons about culture and social injustice feel authentic for the characters as well rather than something forced. As someone unfamiliar with New Zealand and its history, I found this to be a great introduction.

The characters are the true heart of this story and are really well realized. Hana is a strong and capable leader with some very real and relatable struggles. She and her ex husband have a healthy and trusting work relationship despite their separation and both are supportive of their daughter Addison despite some natural tensions. Addison herself shines as a musical activist and provides the perfect, youthful perspective to balance the world weariness of the other characters. None of the characters are overdone and it was easy to get invested in their lives as the story unfolded. 

Honestly, this book would have been a 5 star read for me if it weren’t for one of the subplots introduced at the very beginning of the book. We are first introduced to Hana at a trial for a young Māori woman that had been drugged and sexually assaulted. Despite being found guilty, the person who did it is given a light sentence and sets out to try and destroy Hana’s career. This subplot is definitely there to make a point and builds to a particular moment, but it just doesn’t hit home and is ultimately unnecessary. I didn’t feel like anything meaningful was added to Hana’s character or to the story as a whole. The fact that sexual assault is involved when this is the case just makes it all the more unfortunate. 

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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