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kirarichelle's review
Alcoholism
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Violence
anishaaa's review against another edition
dark
informative
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
4.0
This is a fantastic book and the ten years of work are evident. Though the writing wasn't for me throughout, I loved the homage to Boulleys culture and her love for her home shined throughout. This book feels important, and I can see it being a modern classic for the way it uses addiction in small (esp Indian) communities as a backdrop for a story full of heart. I can't put my finger on why the writing didn't work for me, it may just be too slow paced and overly detailed.
The slow pace almost put me off at the beginning. It's paced almost like a horror or thriller, and speeds up quickly towards the end. The slow pace places you in the community and introduces you to the characters so deeply it's like you know them.
Loved the audiobook, if only just to hear the obijiwe language spolen correctly instead of of my brain butchering it.
3.5 star experience, increased to 4 for the importance of this story being told. I'll definitely pick up the second (companion?) book.
The slow pace almost put me off at the beginning. It's paced almost like a horror or thriller, and speeds up quickly towards the end. The slow pace places you in the community and introduces you to the characters so deeply it's like you know them.
Loved the audiobook, if only just to hear the obijiwe language spolen correctly instead of of my brain butchering it.
3.5 star experience, increased to 4 for the importance of this story being told. I'll definitely pick up the second (companion?) book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Drug abuse
Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence
whiskeywoman79's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Fiction / Young Adult / Indigenous / Mystery / Romance
TW: sexual assault, rape, suicide, death of a loved one, addiction, drug use
Woah. I started this earlier this year and I was not in the right head space to finish it, I was ready now. This was a heartbreaking story but also a story of resilience.
I don't think that my thoughts and personal takeaway from the story are helpful to the conversation, please see the reviews from #ownvoices or #firstnation or other Indigenous reviewers
"There is healing medicine in those kisses."
TW: sexual assault, rape, suicide, death of a loved one, addiction, drug use
Woah. I started this earlier this year and I was not in the right head space to finish it, I was ready now. This was a heartbreaking story but also a story of resilience.
I don't think that my thoughts and personal takeaway from the story are helpful to the conversation, please see the reviews from #ownvoices or #firstnation or other Indigenous reviewers
"There is healing medicine in those kisses."
See less
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
kittybeemartin's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
This book was absolutely incredible. I'm usually a fantasy reader but I was SO invested in this story.
Overall: 5⭐️
Romance: 5💕 I will say that I think people who are not used to reading true YA might be disappointed at the end of the love story part of this book but I felt it was completely authentic. Remember that our FMC turns 19 in this book. She's just a kid.
Audio: 4🎧 the performance was incredible but the sound quality was a little rough
Spice: 1🫑
A note for sensitive readers: check your TWs! This book contains a lot of talk about substance use and a SA (more info about that in the spoiler) There is an on page SA to the FMC. It is not graphic and easily skipable but it is definitely there and she processes her feelings afterward. There is community talk of SA and there is no legal justice for what was done to her.
Overall: 5⭐️
Romance: 5💕 I will say that I think people who are not used to reading true YA might be disappointed at the end of the love story part of this book but I felt it was completely authentic. Remember that our FMC turns 19 in this book. She's just a kid.
Audio: 4🎧 the performance was incredible but the sound quality was a little rough
Spice: 1🫑
A note for sensitive readers: check your TWs! This book contains a lot of talk about substance use and a SA (more info about that in the spoiler)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping
madicana's review
dark
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Rape
emilinaballerina's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
5.0
I’m so impressed and awestruck about this book! at a total loss for words. The final pages gave me goosebumps.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Murder
lilcubana31's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Sexual assault, and Murder
lmm0's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
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
4.0
18 year-old Daunis Fontaine has always felt out of place, both in her small town and on the Ojibwe reservation. When a family tragedy puts her college dreams on hold, she falls for Jamie, a new recruit on her brother’s hockey team, but soon suspects he’s hiding something. After witnessing a murder, Daunis is drawn into an FBI investigation of a dangerous new drug, going undercover using her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe medicine. As she uncovers painful secrets and faces a system more focused on punishment than protection, Daunis must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect her community, even if it means risking everything she’s ever known.
WOW, I'm not usually one to lean into YA, but this one absolutely worked for me - and having Isabella Star LaBlanc narrate was the cherry on top (you may recognize her from True Detective: Night Country). If you like stories set in Michigan, pick this one up. I know the YA genre can be broad at times, but I think this lends towards readers on the older side of that range, given the different kinds of abuse that are covered throughout the story (drug, domestic, sexual).
WOW, I'm not usually one to lean into YA, but this one absolutely worked for me - and having Isabella Star LaBlanc narrate was the cherry on top (you may recognize her from True Detective: Night Country). If you like stories set in Michigan, pick this one up. I know the YA genre can be broad at times, but I think this lends towards readers on the older side of that range, given the different kinds of abuse that are covered throughout the story (drug, domestic, sexual).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
jelkebooks's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
2.0
Ugh, this book is such a difficult one to review for me. I feel like for most of this book this stood at a three star for me, with the thought that the reveals/ending could pull this up to a four, or bring it down to a two. Sadly enough it ended up landing on a two. I'm so disappointed as I just had heard so many good things about this book, and it didn't work for me.
First of all let me say that I thought this book was incredibly interesting. I thought the mystery was quite intriguing, and I was very curious to see it all play out throughout the book. I also thought the perspective of having our main character have to investigate undercover in a way was really interesting, and not something I have seen much in YA mysteries. I feel like it caused a very interesting mental back and forth where our main character didn't know if she was betraying her community or helping them. The sense of community is also incredibly well done in this book. It's very complicated, not very perfect, but her community is sacred to our main character. I thought that aspect to it was really interesting.
This book is strongest when it is giving commentary on the casual racism Native people face in the US, as well as how the police doesn't actually care about their tribes when they go to investigate crimes. There's also discussions in here around how especially crimes against Native women aren't taken seriously. It was incredibly frustrating to see that happen in this book, but its even more frustrating knowing it is very real. I definitely like how that was included in this book.
My problem with this book was that I thought it was incredibly slow moving. It felt a bit of a slog to get through. At points it also got very repetetive, and not a whole lot happens. So it wasn't my favourite. That being said I did think a good ending could pull it all out of the water for me. Sadly enough, it didn't do that. I feel like the big reveal was incredibly predictable, and the fact that the main character didn't really see that coming until the very last minute just feels a bit disappointing. Especially because we're constantly told how smart she is but her kind of accidentally stumbling upon this incredibly obvious (to me) thing just makes her seem incredibly dumb. On top of that I also feel like some of the aspects of the reveal don't make the most sense to me, and I just wish we got a bit more explenation. I get the message of having peace with not knowing everything, that sometimes it's better to not know some things, but I feel like there were just a couple to many holes for me to make the ending really work. So yeah, sadly it ended up being a let down for me. I do definitely still want to read more from Angeline Boulley because I feel like there was a lot of potential in this book for me to love it, so I hope another book by this author will work for me.
First of all let me say that I thought this book was incredibly interesting. I thought the mystery was quite intriguing, and I was very curious to see it all play out throughout the book. I also thought the perspective of having our main character have to investigate undercover in a way was really interesting, and not something I have seen much in YA mysteries. I feel like it caused a very interesting mental back and forth where our main character didn't know if she was betraying her community or helping them. The sense of community is also incredibly well done in this book. It's very complicated, not very perfect, but her community is sacred to our main character. I thought that aspect to it was really interesting.
This book is strongest when it is giving commentary on the casual racism Native people face in the US, as well as how the police doesn't actually care about their tribes when they go to investigate crimes. There's also discussions in here around how especially crimes against Native women aren't taken seriously. It was incredibly frustrating to see that happen in this book, but its even more frustrating knowing it is very real. I definitely like how that was included in this book.
My problem with this book was that I thought it was incredibly slow moving. It felt a bit of a slog to get through. At points it also got very repetetive, and not a whole lot happens. So it wasn't my favourite. That being said I did think a good ending could pull it all out of the water for me. Sadly enough, it didn't do that. I feel like the big reveal was incredibly predictable, and the fact that the main character didn't really see that coming until the very last minute just feels a bit disappointing. Especially because we're constantly told how smart she is but her kind of accidentally stumbling upon this incredibly obvious (to me) thing just makes her seem incredibly dumb. On top of that I also feel like some of the aspects of the reveal don't make the most sense to me, and I just wish we got a bit more explenation. I get the message of having peace with not knowing everything, that sometimes it's better to not know some things, but I feel like there were just a couple to many holes for me to make the ending really work. So yeah, sadly it ended up being a let down for me. I do definitely still want to read more from Angeline Boulley because I feel like there was a lot of potential in this book for me to love it, so I hope another book by this author will work for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Racism, and Grief
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
leahkalantai's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction and Grief
Minor: Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation