Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - Varkaus

One of the best books I have read. I learned so much about the struggles of being Sami that I did not know before and it was just a really moving book.

Content Warnings

lisa00's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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mweis's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I usually don’t put a lot of faith in comp titles, but in this case calling Stolen “Louise Erdrich meets Jo Nesbø” is very accurate. The book follows Elsa, a Sámi girl and who witnesses the murder of her reindeer when at the start of the book. As the plot continues we see the struggle of the Sámi people as they battle racism and hate crimes and climate change and other factors that are threatening their way of life. While Elsa is the main character, we do get chapters from other POVs including of the man who is torturing and killing reindeer so major trigger warning for animal cruelty here as there are some graphic depictions.

I think what this book does well is immerses the reader into the Sámi way of life and the struggles they face due to the other people’s hatred, an indifferent police and government, climate change, and more. The writing is also very immersive and well suited to such a bleak story. That being said, the pacing of this was off for me. That might be because I came in expecting more of a mystery plot, but we know from the beginning who the culprit is, so the book is more of a family saga than a mystery. But even after I readjusted my expectations, there were places where the story dragged for me.

Overall, I’m glad I read this book and I do recommend it if you’re in the mood for a fairly bleak family saga centering a Sámi community.

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teenytardigrade's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes

4.75

Brilliant writing and storytelling about the lived experience of the Indigenous Samí, told from the (mostly) POV of a Samí girl/woman over her younger life. All Scandinavians should read this.

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bella_zaga's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book was an amazing slow burn. I definitely enjoyed the second half more than the first. And by the end, I felt deeply moved for the characters. It felt so tender to learn about the Sámi so intimately. I was deeply impacted by the way mental health was explored in this book and the long lasting effects of a single moment from being a little girl to a grown young adult. Also loved how sexism, racism, animal cruelty, climate change, and trauma were all interlaced throughout the story to bring a full, dynamic image of the Sámi people in the modern world.

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mai_books_nature's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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