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paronomaniac's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Self harm
Minor: Infidelity, Death of parent, and Alcohol
deeroche's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
bjb123's review
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm and Alcohol
anninerie's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
avisreadsandreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Infidelity, Racism, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Colonisation
lindssilva's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, and Death of parent
zee's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
3.25
The Theory of Crows is an emotional journey of a Cree father, suffering from depression, and his teenage daughter trying to reconcile differences and right wrongs between them.
Jacket summaries note the healing journey to find his father's trapline, however this doesn't happen until over halfway through the story. The first half is a very slow exposition that establishes the rift between Matt and Holly, and the journey portion is incredibly fast-paced. I would have liked more time spent in the later half with them having more emotional and spiritual awareness of their surroundings, as it falls a bit short after the significant build up.
Jacket summaries note the healing journey to find his father's trapline, however this doesn't happen until over halfway through the story. The first half is a very slow exposition that establishes the rift between Matt and Holly, and the journey portion is incredibly fast-paced. I would have liked more time spent in the later half with them having more emotional and spiritual awareness of their surroundings, as it falls a bit short after the significant build up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Moderate: Self harm and Alcohol
annemaries_shelves's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars (mild spoiler in content warnings below)
This was the perfect weekend to read a book like this - snowy and quiet, with the time to dedicate to such a character-driven story (half set in winter).
While The Theory of Crows is a lot about relationships (father-daughter), and grief, dreams, and the vast distances that can grow between people, it's much more about mental illness and how it impacts your relationships with everyone and everything. Our main character, Matthew, has anxiety and panic attacks, and a deep empty void-type of depression, and this mental illness causes him to fuck up and make mistakes and cause emotional separations from his wife, and more importantly to the story, his teenage daughter. She, in many ways, is like her father in (her words) fucked-up-ness. There were some really well-written insights into each's perspective and lived experiences with mental illness and grief. The title references and meaning were so vividly described I could see it in my mind's eye.
Beyond that, I both appreciated the pace and felt frustrated by it. On one hand, the slow pace in the first half really lets you understand Matthew and Holly's relationship and all the problems in it. While on the other hand, it takes half the book to get to the inciting incident of the "devastating loss" that sends them looking for the old family trapline. The second half of the book, consequently, flew by with their trip up to mid/northern Manitoba (near and north of Norway House reserve). I would've liked more time in the second half, with our characters talking and learning about each other, and connecting with each other and the land from which they originate.
My other quibble is that it never seems like anyone acknowledged on-page that Matthew suffered from severe off/on depression. The anxiety and the Xanax and the depression symptoms were all discussed, but it was never given a name. And that frustrated me for some reason.
Overall, if you like character studies of parent-child relationships, explorations of grief, and learning to start reconnecting to the land, I recommend this story.
CW: grief, death of grand/parent, descriptions of CPR, descriptions of panic attacks, anxiety, and depression on page, self-harm
This was the perfect weekend to read a book like this - snowy and quiet, with the time to dedicate to such a character-driven story (half set in winter).
While The Theory of Crows is a lot about relationships (father-daughter), and grief, dreams, and the vast distances that can grow between people, it's much more about mental illness and how it impacts your relationships with everyone and everything. Our main character, Matthew, has anxiety and panic attacks, and a deep empty void-type of depression, and this mental illness causes him to fuck up and make mistakes and cause emotional separations from his wife, and more importantly to the story, his teenage daughter. She, in many ways, is like her father in (her words) fucked-up-ness. There were some really well-written insights into each's perspective and lived experiences with mental illness and grief. The title references and meaning were so vividly described I could see it in my mind's eye.
Beyond that, I both appreciated the pace and felt frustrated by it. On one hand, the slow pace in the first half really lets you understand Matthew and Holly's relationship and all the problems in it. While on the other hand, it takes half the book to get to the inciting incident of the "devastating loss" that sends them looking for the old family trapline. The second half of the book, consequently, flew by with their trip up to mid/northern Manitoba (near and north of Norway House reserve). I would've liked more time in the second half, with our characters talking and learning about each other, and connecting with each other and the land from which they originate.
My other quibble is that it never seems like anyone acknowledged on-page that Matthew suffered from severe off/on depression. The anxiety and the Xanax and the depression symptoms were all discussed, but it was never given a name. And that frustrated me for some reason.
Overall, if you like character studies of parent-child relationships, explorations of grief, and learning to start reconnecting to the land, I recommend this story.
CW: grief, death of grand/parent, descriptions of CPR, descriptions of panic attacks, anxiety, and depression on page, self-harm
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
teacupsandfirereads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
3.5
I really loved the story behind this book. Having my own challenges in my relationship with my dad, I could relate to Holly and Matthew.
I found the first half to be slower and definitely not as enjoyable as the second half. I do wish there had been more time with Matthew and Holly on the land. I found this but went to quickly for my liking.
I learned something new from this book, which I always appriciate.
I found the first half to be slower and definitely not as enjoyable as the second half. I do wish there had been more time with Matthew and Holly on the land. I found this but went to quickly for my liking.
I learned something new from this book, which I always appriciate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Self harm, and Grief
Minor: Addiction and Colonisation
jen_again's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, and Death of parent