The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
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: Grief, Drug use, Colonisation, Death of parent, Vomit, Blood, Racism, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Addiction
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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
CW: grief, death of grand/parent, descriptions of CPR, descriptions of panic attacks, anxiety, and depression on page, self-harm
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Self harm, and Blood
fromjuliereads's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
**Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
I cannot speak to the Indigenous representation in this novel, and highly recommend reading reviews from Indigenous reviewers.
This book covers many difficult topics and important themes in a way that is reflective, inspiring, and beautifully integrates Indigenous culture. The story centers on a parent-child relationship - more than one in fact - with both grief and mental health being large themes throughout the book. The story is real and raw, and even though it is sad and frustrating to see these characters going through these things, there is ultimately something inspiring from the arc of the story and the characters relationships.
I really liked the letters that are included between chapters as an extra insight into the character of Matthew, his struggles, and his internal thoughts and feelings. It helped you connect more to his character. While Holly is a frustrating teenager, the growth that she has throughout the novel in her relationship with the people and world around her makes the reader reflect as well.
While I truly did like the character and stories, there were a few things that made it harder for me personally to rate this book higher. One of these has to do with a trigger, so please read below carefully.
I cannot speak to the Indigenous representation in this novel, and highly recommend reading reviews from Indigenous reviewers.
This book covers many difficult topics and important themes in a way that is reflective, inspiring, and beautifully integrates Indigenous culture. The story centers on a parent-child relationship - more than one in fact - with both grief and mental health being large themes throughout the book. The story is real and raw, and even though it is sad and frustrating to see these characters going through these things, there is ultimately something inspiring from the arc of the story and the characters relationships.
I really liked the letters that are included between chapters as an extra insight into the character of Matthew, his struggles, and his internal thoughts and feelings. It helped you connect more to his character. While Holly is a frustrating teenager, the growth that she has throughout the novel in her relationship with the people and world around her makes the reader reflect as well.
While I truly did like the character and stories, there were a few things that made it harder for me personally to rate this book higher. One of these has to do with a trigger, so please read below carefully.
- TW: DRUG ABUSE - I had a really hard time with the drug abuse that Holly's character did. There are a couple scenes where she steals pills from her father and takes them, even taking more than she probably should, and multiple scenes where she wishes for more pills or that she could take them. I can understand why this was included to an extent. However, I think the story could have been just as compelling and well-done without this addition. It almost felt unnecessary to the story, and I honestly felt uncomfortable reading the scenes about a teenager abusing prescription drugs multiple times...
- The book is pitched as a father and daughter coming together over the land to work on their strained relationship. This was only for about the last third of the book. I was surprised how small of a section of the book this was based on the pitch I had read for it. Because I had gone in thinking this was the larger bulk of the book, the plot really bogged down in the middle for me when we still hadn't gotten to the characters going to find the trapline. I don't think this is anything against the book - I think this is more for the pitch/synopsis that I had encountered giving me some false expectations that I held onto.
I did really like all of the discussions of grief and mental health. I think they are done really well in a way that highlights how real and devastating both can be to people's lives, and how people cope, medicate, hide, get through, etc. Both grief and mental health were incredibly integral to the story and the characters' growth.
Tread lightly with the trigger warnings going into this read, but it is a very important and poignant read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, and Self harm
Moderate: Drug abuse, Infidelity, Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
Mentions of residential schools
More...