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yourbookishbff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Joe's personal liminality is reflected in Erdrich's depiction of life on the reservation. We take long detours through Catholicism and the local church and see the ways in which colonizing religions have influenced various people and families in their tribe, and we sense the disharmony of these traditions and their own. In the end, as Joe journeys toward revenge, he finds himself seeking reassurance and validation in both Catholic and Ojibwe tradition, alternately leaning on stories of Sins Crying out for Vengeance and the wiindigoo. Erdrich sets the crime itself in just such a liminal space - occurring, in part, within the Round House, a sacred space for the Ojibwe, but occurring in part at an intersection of tribal and "fee" lands. This liminality becomes the crux of the injustice in our story, and Erdrich shows us how the very real lack of sovereignty for Indigenous communities undermines their ability to protect themselves and their lands, and how it has specifically betrayed Indigenous victims of sexual violence.
There is so much that can be said about how Erdrich builds the narrative - the lack of quotation marks that give it a stream of consciousness feel at times, the storytelling woven throughout, the anecdotal detours, the wide cast of characters and the decision to confine the story to Joe's point of view. Altogether, these decisions create a world haunted by many ghosts, one in which we can see the ripples of action and inaction across people and generations, and one in which justice feels illusory.
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Car accident
anna_hepworth'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? It's complicated
5.0
Well worth having stuck through having to borrow it from the library four times, each time having to wait through the hold queue!
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
library_anne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual violence, Vomit, and Murder
pettywhaler'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
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation
audreyolejasz's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, and Colonisation
se_palmer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The story ends abruptly and without the normal feeling of resolution, so if that kind of thing makes you mad, consider yourself forewarned.
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Drug use, Violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse
sestout's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
taylorlanxon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault
lorenag5'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
4.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
indrabindra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Blood, and Vomit
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Car accident