Scan barcode
nialiversuch'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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Dementia, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Death, Gore, Grief, Racism, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Sexism
mweis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
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.
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Xenophobia, Animal death, and Racism
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Death, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Suicide
vixenreader'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
4.5
Graphic: Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Death, Bullying, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Animal death, and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, Alcoholism, Classism, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Sexism, Stalking, Dementia, and Addiction
Minor: Car accident, Miscarriage, and Vomit
Be wary of police negligence, slander, school yard fights, property damage, adults threatening children, an attempt at a home invasion, funerals, and PTSD.linnypesto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Suicide, Alcoholism, and Mental illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
carinaantonia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide, Bullying, Death, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Gun violence, Racism, Alcoholism, Blood, Colonisation, Mental illness, Murder, Police brutality, and Physical abuse
bookishcori's review against another edition
5.0
Read the synopsis if you want to know what it’s about 😅. I was gripped from the beginning and it kept a tiny piece of my heart.
As I’ve read a couple other books by Sámi authors recently, the community and culture wasn’t entirely new [if it is to you, that’s okay, be prepared to google at times]. As with so many Indigenous peoples, their culture has been suppressed and subjected to colonization & xenophobia - this book is a small piece of reclaiming that heritage while also shining a light on the ways racism & climate destruction continue to threaten their community.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, and Sexism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, and Suicide
majabernhard'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
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Blood, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Animal death
mellysay'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
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicide, Stalking, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Murder, Mental illness, Bullying, Animal death, Violence, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Death, Dementia, Cursing, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Gore, Alcoholism, Blood, and Body horror
bodiesinbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Car accident, Fatphobia, Medical content, and Xenophobia