cass_cvit's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
andrew61's review against another edition
5.0
This is a powerful story of women in the Metis community of Winnipeg which does not shy away from uncomfortable issues including sexual violence, drug addiction, inadequate parenting , and the perception and treatment of indigenous people within Canadian society. Ultimately however it is a story about the women in the community and their strength in adversity and what seems to be the poor father figures that their male partners present.
the opening of the book is dramatic as a Metis mother Stella , feeding her young child in the early hours, looks out on the plot of land outside her house (the break) to see a horribly violent sexual crime being committed but cannot identify the perpetrators and the young victim covered in blood disappears. Some time later she calls the police and a young Metis police officer Tommy Scott arrives with his white more world weary partner ( this relationship is well drawn and touches upon casual racism and the power that words innocuous to the speaker have upon the recipient) to take a statement suspect in a gang crime. Stella's white husband arrives ( hint of a controlling relationship ?) arrives and wants to close the interview down.
Within the subsequent chapters we learn about the victim , who goes to hospital and her wider family through ten different voices which include the victim Emily (teenager) , her mother and two aunts Lou and Paulina, her grandmother Cheryl and great grandmother Kookom. All these women have a story about relationships that have gone wrong , men who desert them and their daily struggles. You also see in the background the influence of the country they originally came from and escape from the reservation to an unforgiving city.
Perhaps most poignantly I felt was the story of troubled teenager Phoenix who coming out of a secure home has no support other than a drug addicted uncle and reliance on crime. the chapter where she wanders the streets is heart-breaking and the author allows the reader to abandon their prejudice against Phoenix to look closely at the social deprivation that can cause adolescent crime.
I won't say anymore as the joy of this book , which takes a short while to get into, is the discovery of all the familial links . There are some minor issues I had with all the characters descriptions but overall I was totally absorbed by the book and put it down emotionally drained.
I'm sure there is another tale to tell in these characters lives particularly around Emily's cousins who as young teenage boys seem drawn to gang paraphernalia and I worried about theirs , Emily's and Phoenix's fate.
the opening of the book is dramatic as a Metis mother Stella , feeding her young child in the early hours, looks out on the plot of land outside her house (the break) to see a horribly violent sexual crime being committed but cannot identify the perpetrators and the young victim covered in blood disappears. Some time later she calls the police and a young Metis police officer Tommy Scott arrives with his white more world weary partner ( this relationship is well drawn and touches upon casual racism and the power that words innocuous to the speaker have upon the recipient) to take a statement suspect in a gang crime. Stella's white husband arrives ( hint of a controlling relationship ?) arrives and wants to close the interview down.
Within the subsequent chapters we learn about the victim , who goes to hospital and her wider family through ten different voices which include the victim Emily (teenager) , her mother and two aunts Lou and Paulina, her grandmother Cheryl and great grandmother Kookom. All these women have a story about relationships that have gone wrong , men who desert them and their daily struggles. You also see in the background the influence of the country they originally came from and escape from the reservation to an unforgiving city.
Perhaps most poignantly I felt was the story of troubled teenager Phoenix who coming out of a secure home has no support other than a drug addicted uncle and reliance on crime. the chapter where she wanders the streets is heart-breaking and the author allows the reader to abandon their prejudice against Phoenix to look closely at the social deprivation that can cause adolescent crime.
I won't say anymore as the joy of this book , which takes a short while to get into, is the discovery of all the familial links . There are some minor issues I had with all the characters descriptions but overall I was totally absorbed by the book and put it down emotionally drained.
I'm sure there is another tale to tell in these characters lives particularly around Emily's cousins who as young teenage boys seem drawn to gang paraphernalia and I worried about theirs , Emily's and Phoenix's fate.
sjklass's review against another edition
5.0
The Break is a narrow field between two rows of houses in Winnipeg's North End where 13 yr old Metis, Emily is sexually assaulted on a freezing winter night. But she and her friends, mother, aunties and Kookum (Grandmother) do not break. They share and rage and heal each other. No one person can speak for an entire group but through telling these womens' story, author Katherina Vermette gives a face to the urgent crisis of violence against urban indigenous women. The women and some of the men are strong and wise and unflinchingly honest. They are so damn brave, facing unthinkable challenges with chins out, ready to take on the world. I don't know whether you have to have experienced trauma to be that strong, but I rather believe so. The novel is intense but there are moments of lightness and humour. This is an impressive debut novel - best Canadian fiction I've read this year. If you liked Eden Robinson's Monkey Beach, you'll love The Break.
creeker868's review against another edition
2.0
This book was a difficult read. The subject matter was tough. It deals with multiple generations of Indigenous women in Winnipeg. The portrayals were real and the book was beautifully written but the story was not for me I can appreciate the writing and I find the struggles these women and girls have had to deal with extremely believable but I can't relate as I can't put myself in their shoes. I admire them for having the fortitude to go on.
rbalir's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
ginapasquinelli's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
lynnedf's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a 5 star PLUS PLUS PLUS.
I don't even know where to begin when describing this book. "The Break" is a brilliant piece of literature. Katherine Vermette was able to create characters that spoke a truth that was so raw, so poignant, so perfectly developed. This book read almost like a memoir - the characters seemed to have backstories and lives that went beyond the 300+ pages.
Stella witnesses a horrific event outside her home, unable to do anything other than call the police for help, Stella is forced to watch and wait. What follows are alternating narrators, each filling in the events that lead up to the event, and then the days that follow.
This is a heartbreaking novel - one that examines what it means to be an Indigenous woman; one that looks at the repercussions of abuse, one that illuminates the beauty of family and sisterhood, and a connection to ones family. It examines loss, and pain, hope, love and despair. This is a book that should be read in all schools ... it may not be pretty, but it is a story that needs to be told.
Absolutely brilliant. I hope everyone who is tempted to read it, picks it up and devours it.
Recommended read.
I don't even know where to begin when describing this book. "The Break" is a brilliant piece of literature. Katherine Vermette was able to create characters that spoke a truth that was so raw, so poignant, so perfectly developed. This book read almost like a memoir - the characters seemed to have backstories and lives that went beyond the 300+ pages.
Stella witnesses a horrific event outside her home, unable to do anything other than call the police for help, Stella is forced to watch and wait. What follows are alternating narrators, each filling in the events that lead up to the event, and then the days that follow.
This is a heartbreaking novel - one that examines what it means to be an Indigenous woman; one that looks at the repercussions of abuse, one that illuminates the beauty of family and sisterhood, and a connection to ones family. It examines loss, and pain, hope, love and despair. This is a book that should be read in all schools ... it may not be pretty, but it is a story that needs to be told.
Absolutely brilliant. I hope everyone who is tempted to read it, picks it up and devours it.
Recommended read.
lokena's review against another edition
5.0
Read it, read it, read it.
Beautiful characters, deep stories, I couldn’t put the book down.
First book of 2022 to give me a good cry.
I will be getting all books by this author from now on.
Beautiful characters, deep stories, I couldn’t put the book down.
First book of 2022 to give me a good cry.
I will be getting all books by this author from now on.
jess_segraves's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. This book is a gut punch. A fair comp for readers who liked Tommy Orange’s There There.
mimosaeyes's review against another edition
4.0
Right from the outset, I could tell that Vermette's scene work is exemplary. The subtle emotions and tensions underlying each moment... it was like watching a TV show with high production values. Like a BBC drama playing out in my imagination, but evoked with just words on a page. It's been a while since I've read prose so effortlessly skilful, and it's doubly impressive considering that this is her debut novel. That said, I did note some pacing issues in the middle, which dragged a bit for me at least because it was quite obvious who attacked Emily.
I like the focus on women's vulnerability here, especially the intersectional sense revolving around the family's being Métis. Also appreciated the subtle exploration of minority ethnicity: issues like affirmative action, interracial relationships, micro-aggressions. Above all, though, this is a novel about the importance of ordinary family ties, and I thought that came across very well even amid the more dramatic plot points.
I like the focus on women's vulnerability here, especially the intersectional sense revolving around the family's being Métis. Also appreciated the subtle exploration of minority ethnicity: issues like affirmative action, interracial relationships, micro-aggressions. Above all, though, this is a novel about the importance of ordinary family ties, and I thought that came across very well even amid the more dramatic plot points.