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sadhbhprice's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Drug abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Minor: Pregnancy
siobhanward's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
NYT Notable Books 2021: 9/100
I read Erdrich's highly acclaimed The Night Watchman last year and was left disappointed. It was fine but I didn't feel a whole lot beyond that. When this came up on the NYT list of notable books for 2021, I wasn't too sure about it, since I'd been so disappointed by The Night Watchman . I'm so grateful it was on the list and that I read it because it was such a different book and I loved it. Maybe it was because I liked the plot more or maybe it was because it covered a time period I remember well which made it easier to connect to, but either way this was a gift to read.
I've also read very few Covid-19 era books that have been so solid. Erdrich doesn't glamorize the era, nor does she gloss over it. It's a huge part of the last parts of the book, but it was written in a way that I think reflected the period well, which is not something I've seen a ton of otherwise!
I read Erdrich's highly acclaimed The Night Watchman last year and was left disappointed. It was fine but I didn't feel a whole lot beyond that. When this came up on the NYT list of notable books for 2021, I wasn't too sure about it, since I'd been so disappointed by The Night Watchman . I'm so grateful it was on the list and that I read it because it was such a different book and I loved it. Maybe it was because I liked the plot more or maybe it was because it covered a time period I remember well which made it easier to connect to, but either way this was a gift to read.
I've also read very few Covid-19 era books that have been so solid. Erdrich doesn't glamorize the era, nor does she gloss over it. It's a huge part of the last parts of the book, but it was written in a way that I think reflected the period well, which is not something I've seen a ton of otherwise!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
sheriffrockyraccoon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Another addition to my 5 star reads! Louise Erdrich deserves all the accolades she’s received and more for her writing.
This story hit close to home. As it takes place throughout the beginning of the pandemic and George Floyd protests, I truly felt the confusion and terror the characters experienced. I felt comforted, too, not only by their reactions but their conclusions about the world they live in. I fell in love with the characters, especially Tookie, our protagonist. She’s sarcastic, pessimistic, and scared. She also is loyal, self-aware, and brave. Erdrich brought this character to life and gave her such a well-rounded story I truly felt as if I was reading a memoir.
My only complaint- and it is minor- is the random perspective changes to include Hetta and Pollux. While they were interesting, I didn’t feel they added much to the novel and messed a little bit with the pacing of Tookie’s story. Overall, though, this did not change my opinion about how much I loved this book and am proud to display it on my 5 star shelf.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the “human condition” and spirituality in general. There is a wonderful mix of superstition and science that doesn’t discredit the other, rather it embraces that confusing gray area where they both exist. It is also Native American literature, which I am always thrilled to read and learn more about. Overall, for anyone interested in American Lit I consider this a must-read.
This story hit close to home. As it takes place throughout the beginning of the pandemic and George Floyd protests, I truly felt the confusion and terror the characters experienced. I felt comforted, too, not only by their reactions but their conclusions about the world they live in. I fell in love with the characters, especially Tookie, our protagonist. She’s sarcastic, pessimistic, and scared. She also is loyal, self-aware, and brave. Erdrich brought this character to life and gave her such a well-rounded story I truly felt as if I was reading a memoir.
My only complaint- and it is minor- is the random perspective changes to include Hetta and Pollux. While they were interesting, I didn’t feel they added much to the novel and messed a little bit with the pacing of Tookie’s story. Overall, though, this did not change my opinion about how much I loved this book and am proud to display it on my 5 star shelf.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the “human condition” and spirituality in general. There is a wonderful mix of superstition and science that doesn’t discredit the other, rather it embraces that confusing gray area where they both exist. It is also Native American literature, which I am always thrilled to read and learn more about. Overall, for anyone interested in American Lit I consider this a must-read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
shoshin's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
This was my first Erdrich book, and I regret that it took me so long to get to her despite all of the good things I have heard.
I picked the book as part of a reading challenge, to read a book set on my favorite city. I didn't realize that it was partially set during COVID and the uprising. Hearing about the loss of life and the loss of places I love is still a punch in the gut. I should have realized but somehow still wasn't ready when it came.
I listened to the audiobook, and I could listen to Erdrich all day. Amazing.
I picked the book as part of a reading challenge, to read a book set on my favorite city. I didn't realize that it was partially set during COVID and the uprising. Hearing about the loss of life and the loss of places I love is still a punch in the gut. I should have realized but somehow still wasn't ready when it came.
I listened to the audiobook, and I could listen to Erdrich all day. Amazing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, and Abandonment
mariebrunelm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
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
5.0
An Indigenous bookshop ghost story, what more could you ask for?
In The Sentence, Louise Erdrich weaves the ordinary (as mundane or heart-wrenching as it can be) and the supernatural to create a rich tapestry of contemporary life as an Indigenous person in the USA, with a strong emphasis on community and a balance between darkness and light.
Tookie is a very grounded person, an ex-convict now working in a bookshop owned by… a certain Louise. They have their regulars, each one with their habits and particular tastes in books. One of them, Flora, dies at the beginning of the story, but she doesn’t seem ready to leave the bookshop.
Once the situation is set, the author sets out to detail the daily life of the bookshop and its daily haunting, through the eyes of a gruff but very endearing character, Tookie, who is very flawed but very loveable. I loved the balance of her prose that walked the line between prosaic and spiritual. In short chapters, she captured vivid scenes and interactions that made this book highly entertaining even though not a lot was happening. The touch of the supernatural was very welcome to add another dimension to the book. It was also very informational about Indigenous people living in Minneapolis and its surrounding area, without feeling like you were taught a lesson.
On the whole, this book felt very intentional, and forced me to slow down to savour every bite, which is very rare for me. I was in no rush to see what was happening next, and it brought me a lot of peace even though some parts were harrowing. I highly recommend this nuanced and multi-facetted book that holds a lot in a very readable format.
Rep: Indigenous characters, bi MC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Police brutality, Cultural appropriation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
stephe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
The Sentence is beautifully, lovingly written, capturing the power that books and stories and memories have to reveal deep and painful truths—about ourselves, those around us, and our worlds. It also faithfully captures a moment in Minneapolis (and the world) in which deep pain and patterns of systemic abuse came bubbling up and out into the streets, all in the midst of the darkest times of the Quarantine Era. Having lived in Minneapolis during most of these events, it was hard to read at times. And yet, Tookie and the whole cast of characters brought so much life and depth and joy to the story that I finished it with hope that, together, we can reckon with that which haunts us and welcome healing into our lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Racism, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual violence
eyreickson's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Cultural appropriation and Colonisation
passionatereader78's review against another edition
emotional
tense
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
3.0
This is an emotional story taking place during covid.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Violence
katharina90's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Started off strong but lost a bit of steam shortly after. The pace was too slow for my liking but I enjoyed the many themes that are explored in this novel.
It was also interesting to relive the events of 2020 from the perspective of an indigenous formerly incarcerated woman working at a small bookstore in Minneapolis.
It was also interesting to relive the events of 2020 from the perspective of an indigenous formerly incarcerated woman working at a small bookstore in Minneapolis.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Police brutality, Medical content, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation
Minor: Addiction and Death
greenan26's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death and Police brutality