Reviews with content warning for Rape - Split Tooth

Someone on Goodreads called this book the thorniest of roses, and I have to agree. As others have mentioned, big time trigger warnings on this. It’s vulgar, disturbing, beautiful, brutal, mysterious, magical, and deeply upsetting. Definitely a unique read, but one that I struggled with because the content is so difficult. The plot can be winding, vague, and hard to follow because it’s written as poetry. I don’t have much of a mind for poetry even though I love it, so I don’t know that I really followed all the events of this story. That said, what did make a huge impact on me is the feeling that Tagaq is trying to get across. The ending is beautiful and horrible. Tragic and disquieting. I am glad I read it, and I hope to never read it again.

“We are reverberations of our ancestors and songs of our present selves. It is very quiet in the future as it is in the deep past. The quiet. We always live among the dead. It’s scary but the quiet is our true home. This is why we must make the most of our gristle and meat. We must celebrate being harnessed into our bodies. We are a product of the immense torque that propels this universe. We are not individuals but an accumulation of all that lived before.”

Characters: 6
Atmosphere/Setting: 10
Writing Style: 8
Plot: 7
Intrigue: 8
Logic/Relationships: 4
Enjoyment: 2

6.2/10 = 3.75 stars

Content Warnings

csommerlot's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Content Warnings

a_beautiful_soup's review

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adventurous challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Content Warnings

yasidiaz's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was a hard read, not only because it was mainly narrative poetry, but because of its content. I recommend reading the trigger warnings carefully before picking this book since it has very graphic content.

This is the first time I read a book by an Inuit writer with Inuit characters. That's honestly what mainly draws me to the story. I've been focusing on reading from cultures I am unfamiliar with and learning more from them. Reading about the life of a young Inuit woman living in the Canadian Artic during the 70's and 80's. It made me want to read more about this community and its folklore.

Nonetheless, this book is very different from what I usually read. It's dark, sad, and hopeless at times. The prose was beautiful and Tanya Tagaq is a talented poet. I don't think I will read this book again. It was beautiful and I don't regret reading it, but I still prefer my lighthearted romantic reads.

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kodi_rae's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

Part autobiography, part narrative fiction, part magical realism, etc. with some tough themes about SA, trauma, etc. One of the things that makes “Split Tooth” beautiful is the way Tagaq talks about the environment, animal spirits, the northern lights, etc. and how it ties into the narrative and cultural beliefs and practices. I read in other reviews that if you listen to the audiobook she narrates it herself and incorporates throat singing between each section which I imagine would lend itself to a whole new, raw experience. I think it would be worth revisiting.

Content Warnings

drlucyc's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

Content Warnings

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