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lynneliu's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Confinement, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Mental illness and Death of parent
maggieed's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, and Grief
tlaynejones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism and Pedophilia
belle2008's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
No matter how many times I read about it, the realities of the residential school system and the abuses perpetuated there never fail to sicken me. This book was no exception. The escape that hockey offered Saul and his exhilaration on the ice really shone through and captivated my attention, even though I have less than no interest in the game itself. The way racism impinged on that, robbed him of his love for the game, and stole his joy was heartbreaking and infuriating.
This book is a work of fiction. Yet it is filled with undeniable truths. It is beautifully and impactfully written, a painful yet important read, and one I highly recommend.
“When your innocence is stripped from you, when your people are denigrated, when the family that you came from is denounced and your tribal ways and rituals are pronounced backward, primitive, savage, you come to see yourself as less than human. That is hell on earth, that sense of unworthiness. That’s what they inflicted on us.”
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Murder
breezie_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I might not have been able to relate to living off the land and having your people stolen in the middle of the night and shipped off to God-knows-where, and I might not be able to relate to being targeted specifically because of your skin color and origins, but I understand what it's like to feel like, to be treated like, an outcast, like you don't belong. I understand what it feels like to have one thing that brings you relief from it all and to have it wrenched away from you. I understand what it feels like to watch others go through what the kids in the school went through, and I understand what it feels like to remember those same things happening to you.
I relate especially to finding comfort and escapism in books. Books to me are what hockey was to Saul and reading about his struggles with coming to terms with his past and remembering it hit home for me because I've felt the same way. It's a constant, uphill battle and this novel did an amazing job of capturing the emotions of that struggle, not only with addiction and recovering from your addiction, but with the struggle of isolation, whether self-imposed or otherwise, and with the struggle of remembering who you are and fighting to get that person back.
This was a work of art, and I'm definitely going to need some recovery time after reading this.
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Suicide
maryjames's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing, Rape, and Death of parent
annemaries_shelves's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
It's an easy-to-read but heavy novel that grapples with trauma caused by Canadian residential schools (in this specific case, a Catholic residential school in Northern Ontario in the 1960s).
The story of Saul, the truths laid bare within his absolutely beautiful writing, the emotional candour, the pacing and narrative structure, and the absolute love for his people and land make Indian Horse one of the most impactful, well-crafted, and beautiful novels I've read.
Wagamese's passion for hockey truly shines through as well, and I found myself at the edge of my metaphorical seat reading about training, playing games - the beauty of the game alongside the racist experiences Saul and the Moose team experienced by white settlers who believe the game of hockey is theirs alone.
I also particularly appreciated how Wagamese incorporate Objibwe culture and worldviews throughout the novel and how integral Saul's culture and language (despite being forcibly stripped from him) is to his identity and journey.
I feel like I could write an entire essay on this novel and all its themes, narrative choices, character development, etc. but I think I'll leave it here for now. Everyone in North America should read Indian Horse.
I'll be thinking about this novel for a long time.
Content/trigger warnings: significant child physical and sexual abuse, colonial trauma, alcoholism, residential schools, suicide/death, racial slurs
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Suicide