Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

31 reviews

reads2cope's review against another edition

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4.5

“That old buffalo woman gave Nanapush her views. She told him that he had survived by doing the opposite of all the others. Where they abandoned, he saved. Where they were cruel, he was kind. Where they betrayed, he was faithful. Nanapush then decided that in all things he would be unpredictable. As he had completely lost trust in authority, he decided to stay away from others and to think for himself, even to do the most ridiculous things that occurred to him.”

This book wasn’t what I expected, and as someone who doesn’t typically reach for mystery novels (thank you to the Paperbacks & Frybread Decolonize Your Bookshelf Challenge for taking me here!) I’m so glad I picked it up. It was very uncomfortable to be in the mind of a 13 year old boy, but at the same time I am still reeling from the amount of growth readers get not only from the main character but from the complex web of community he is surrounded by. This is a book that will stick with me for a long time.
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leah_alexandra's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

A complex and compelling read. Overall a few too many elements, which took away a bit from some of the heart of the story. And I struggled with the ending. But it’s a well-told story with a lot to say about the legal and social landscape of indigenous people in the US, both historical and (relatively) present. 
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paxtyn's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny sad medium-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

4.75

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foxglovefairy's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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anna_hepworth's review against another edition

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challenging dark slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

This is a very difficult story to read --mostly because it deals with some awful things, but also because a) I found the viewpoint character, a 13 year old boy, very difficult to stay engaged with and b) there are lots of layers of what is going on, all the time, and I struggled to keep track. 

Well worth having stuck through having to borrow it from the library four times, each time having to wait through the hold queue!
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audreyolejasz's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

2.0

The main character is kunda of a pervert...
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se_palmer's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny sad medium-paced
  • 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

This is a rough story told beautifully. Without spoiling anything, this is the story of a violent crime and a community's response, specifically the response of a 13 year old boy. There are moments that are harrowing and heartbreaking, and there are moments of deep humor and joy, and the teenage perspective tends to walk the line between normal teenage weirdness and the truly awkward and upsetting. The story asks us to think about what justice means to victims, to their families and communities, and traditionally, and the answers it presents are sometimes challenging.
The story ends abruptly and without the normal feeling of resolution, so if that kind of thing makes you mad, consider yourself forewarned.
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andrewhatesham's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.5

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aidareads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • 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? Yes

4.25

very well executed. this will stuck with me for a long time probably
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brooketreads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • 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

4.5

Author Louise Erdrich is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.

Wow! This book is heavy all the dang way through. I could make a list. Off the jump the story had me worried for Mom, Geraldine, and I hadn’t even meet her on page yet! Dad’s getting worried and I felt so immersed in the story. The interconnectivity through the story, I’m looking at you Linda. 😳 and that ending! I really enjoyed Joe’s friends joining together to help him through the story as well.

Additional:

What holds me back from a five star is that I felt this was a little long. It could have been condensed a little bit in my opinion. I found pretty much all of Sonja and Whities scenes unnecessary to the story as a whole. I also don’t like when there are teens in a story and adding sexualization. This is completely a me issue.
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