haileyhardcover's review against another edition
5.0
I’m a sucker for a story set in Minnesota, and for debut novels. This Town Sleeps did not disappoint! It was stunning. One of my favorite books so far this year! A quick one-sitting read both because of its length (208 pages) and because the story had me hooked.
In This Town Sleeps, you’re getting Indigenous characters, real representation of life on a reservation in the US, Achillean relationships (but this is NOT a romance!), a little mystery, and a splash of the paranormal.
In This Town Sleeps, you’re getting Indigenous characters, real representation of life on a reservation in the US, Achillean relationships (but this is NOT a romance!), a little mystery, and a splash of the paranormal.
livelyghost's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
oakleyloew's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
2.75
caitlintremblay's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved Marion’s story but I do think this novel tried to accomplish too much in just 224 pages. That said, I did enjoy the air of mystery left behind with such a short page count. This was really beautiful and even if it felt really raw at times. Well worth a read.
coffee_and_wool's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
lori_reads_everything's review against another edition
3.0
I feel as though I, like most people, picked this book up due to its uniqueness. I mean, how many other books are centered around a gay Ojibwe man who is quite literally being haunted?
This book is a quick read that is perfect for a rainy day. The story of Marion is entertaining, however, the way the story jumps between characters and back and forth through time can make things confusing and harder to follow. It also felt as though the ending was a bit rushed and didn't get the attention it deserved. To be clear, it's not the way the story ended that I didn't like, but how quickly it happened, and how little the author gave us at the end.
Overall, this book was definitely worth reading, I just felt as though the author was trying to do a lot and maybe not all of it translated in the end.
This book is a quick read that is perfect for a rainy day. The story of Marion is entertaining, however, the way the story jumps between characters and back and forth through time can make things confusing and harder to follow. It also felt as though the ending was a bit rushed and didn't get the attention it deserved. To be clear, it's not the way the story ended that I didn't like, but how quickly it happened, and how little the author gave us at the end.
Overall, this book was definitely worth reading, I just felt as though the author was trying to do a lot and maybe not all of it translated in the end.
elenajohansen's review against another edition
4.0
This is so far outside my normal reading sphere that I'm having difficulty articulating what I liked about it. I'm always interested in LGBT+ stuff; I should be reading more indigenous authors; I'm okay with supernatural elements, slightly less comfortable with spiritual; but I almost never read crime novels.
It's an odd mix, and it doesn't always quite work, but overall it's a strong debut. I felt for Marion, and his history is intertwined with that of his town/reservation, and some strange goings-on. I read this in just under a day; the pacing was definitely compelling enough to keep me going. I didn't always like any of the other characters, though I found it interesting that Shannon's POV chapters were generally written in second person, a framework of him talking to himself, because of his issues. Most writing advice tells us all to steer clear of 2nd, but I like it here as a mode of characterization, even if I didn't necessary like Shannon at first. He comes around in the end, mostly.
The weakest aspect is definitely the many, many side POVs and the lack of clarity when switching to one of a) who our POV even is, and b) how they're related (in the story, or in some cases, literally blood-related) to Marion. While I recognize much of the cultural content/history given in these vignettes was necessary to the story, I didn't appreciate having my attention diverted in so many directions, or frequently waiting to get back to the present-day storyline. It's a serious complaint, but not one that would prevent me from recommending the book to anyone interested in the subject matter--I picked this on a whim for a reading challenge and I'm surprised by how much I liked it, given its dissimilarities to my usual genres.
It's an odd mix, and it doesn't always quite work, but overall it's a strong debut. I felt for Marion, and his history is intertwined with that of his town/reservation, and some strange goings-on. I read this in just under a day; the pacing was definitely compelling enough to keep me going. I didn't always like any of the other characters, though I found it interesting that Shannon's POV chapters were generally written in second person, a framework of him talking to himself, because of his issues. Most writing advice tells us all to steer clear of 2nd, but I like it here as a mode of characterization, even if I didn't necessary like Shannon at first. He comes around in the end, mostly.
The weakest aspect is definitely the many, many side POVs and the lack of clarity when switching to one of a) who our POV even is, and b) how they're related (in the story, or in some cases, literally blood-related) to Marion. While I recognize much of the cultural content/history given in these vignettes was necessary to the story, I didn't appreciate having my attention diverted in so many directions, or frequently waiting to get back to the present-day storyline. It's a serious complaint, but not one that would prevent me from recommending the book to anyone interested in the subject matter--I picked this on a whim for a reading challenge and I'm surprised by how much I liked it, given its dissimilarities to my usual genres.
arufo29's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
estefaniavelez's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted so much more out of this book. On paper it is exactly the sort of thing I would love in a book: romance, queer representation, magic realism, etc. In practice, I found the narrative entirely lackluster and the writing bare. Over and over again, I found myself wondering why the romantic leads even tolerate each other ... and annoyed each time they inevitably reunited for little more than a hook up. A personal disappointment from me, but I'm eager to keep reading books written about native american experiences by native american writers.