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sanguma's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.75
hannarae's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
erinlcrane's review against another edition
4.0
I appreciated a lot about this companion novel to The Break. It’s an interesting decision to withhold Phoenix’s offense, so you have to go to The Break for that story.
Like The Break, Vermette avoids casting too much blame on people. Or she at least makes a huge effort to explain people’s actions through their personal histories and systems that work against them. You leave with some understanding of these folks whether or not you like them or their decisions, and I love that. She brings nuance to this broken family.
While the story is sad and bleak much of the time, it’s not trauma porn. There are stories where you can predict the next thing that is going to happen by asking yourself “what’s the worst thing that could happen next?” That doesn’t really work here. I think Vermette keeps it feeling more authentic that way. There are positive people in the characters’ lives as well as negative, and many others are a mix of both. Nikki and Faith are annoying but ultimately not caricatures or villainized. That’s something I really, really appreciate in storytelling.
At times the story felt too longwinded, too drawn out, or too repetitive. I also had trouble, primarily in Margaret’s chapters, keeping the characters and timeline straight. There are a LOT of people to keep track of. The family tree at the front of the book only helps but so much.
There’s hope in the end for all the surviving characters. For Cedar especially, but even Phoenix and Elsie are still moving forward. Still trying. So I wouldn’t say this ends on a depressing note. I really enjoyed getting to know the family, learning from each POV, and seeing all the interconnections.
Like The Break, Vermette avoids casting too much blame on people. Or she at least makes a huge effort to explain people’s actions through their personal histories and systems that work against them. You leave with some understanding of these folks whether or not you like them or their decisions, and I love that. She brings nuance to this broken family.
While the story is sad and bleak much of the time, it’s not trauma porn. There are stories where you can predict the next thing that is going to happen by asking yourself “what’s the worst thing that could happen next?” That doesn’t really work here. I think Vermette keeps it feeling more authentic that way. There are positive people in the characters’ lives as well as negative, and many others are a mix of both. Nikki and Faith are annoying but ultimately not caricatures or villainized. That’s something I really, really appreciate in storytelling.
At times the story felt too longwinded, too drawn out, or too repetitive. I also had trouble, primarily in Margaret’s chapters, keeping the characters and timeline straight. There are a LOT of people to keep track of. The family tree at the front of the book only helps but so much.
There’s hope in the end for all the surviving characters. For Cedar especially, but even Phoenix and Elsie are still moving forward. Still trying. So I wouldn’t say this ends on a depressing note. I really enjoyed getting to know the family, learning from each POV, and seeing all the interconnections.
james_siebs's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I really struggled with this book.
I felt incredibly sad for Cedar, but I just cannot stand Phoenix and Elsie. While I didn’t enjoy her as a character, I found the depiction of Elsie’s struggles with addiction and her desire to be a good parent to be interesting and very sad.
Cedar is such a beautiful character - pulled in so many directions between the love she has for her mom and sisters, while also wanting to move on with her life. She grapples with micro-aggressions from her stepmom and bullying from her stepsister, all while working to rebuild her relationship with her father and heal from her childhood trauma.
My biggest issue was that I felt this book was much too sympathetic towards Phoenix, who committed a horrible violent and violating crime that she doesn’t appear to have remorse for.
I felt incredibly sad for Cedar, but I just cannot stand Phoenix and Elsie. While I didn’t enjoy her as a character, I found the depiction of Elsie’s struggles with addiction and her desire to be a good parent to be interesting and very sad.
Cedar is such a beautiful character - pulled in so many directions between the love she has for her mom and sisters, while also wanting to move on with her life. She grapples with micro-aggressions from her stepmom and bullying from her stepsister, all while working to rebuild her relationship with her father and heal from her childhood trauma.
My biggest issue was that I felt this book was much too sympathetic towards Phoenix, who committed a horrible violent and violating crime that she doesn’t appear to have remorse for.
erinkatherin's review
5.0
Intergenerational stories of indigenous women. Highly recommended.
I’d nominate this for Canada Reads (MB Reads?).
I’d nominate this for Canada Reads (MB Reads?).
kinnimomo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
msreadsoften's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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? N/A
4.0