Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - Split Tooth

Split Tooth is an experience. Truly unlike anything I’ve read before. Following the perspective of a young Inuk woman growing up in Nunavut in the 1970s, the novel sketches the portrait of a community affected by colonialism and poverty. At only 11, the unnamed protagonist sees right through the adults around her. Her coming of age is saturated with spirituality, making up for any lack in the material world. To survive the violence she is subjected to daily, she strengthens the ties with her ancestors, holding on to her Inuit identity so tightly that reality blends seamlessly with the unseen. What is real? What is a dream?

Tanya Tagaq’s debut novel is subversive, both in content and form. It is a powerful counter-narrative denouncing the atrocities of colonialism and toxic masculinity. It mixes prose and poetry, autobiography and fiction, reality and myth.

The frozen landscape is an active character. Nature is unforgiving and harsh but aren't humans even harsher? Split Tooth proves just that.

I highly recommend this novel.

📖 « La forme des nuages ressemble à des avertissements codés en morse: l’été ne durera pas. La vie, c’est ça. Mange-la toute de suite. »

Content Warnings

evanlorant's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective slow-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? No

5.0

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ktrecs's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective

4.0

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rotfaced's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A deeply visceral and at times deeply upsetting story. I listened to it as an audiobook, which was recommended to me and which I would highly recommend as well; Tanya Tagaq lends her unique and beautiful narration to the text, bringing each poem, reflection, story and song to genuine life through her intimate and delicate vocalization. Between each chapter is her throat singing, which adds a new layer to the story as well. While I would like a physical copy of the book to revisit portions which stood out as poignant to me, I don't know if I would have enjoyed the experience as much had I began with the text.

I found myself enraptured by the first 2/3rd of the book, engrossed in this world so unlike the one I inhabit. The final acts left me feeling deeply sad and even disturbed, but the journey through these segments was worthwhile. This book is very poetic and meant to invoke reflection, if not empathy; I encourage readers to approach it with no expectations and allow Tagaq's lyrical way of exploring life to animate itself in their mind.

This is a book I couldn't stop listening to; I finished it in hours I carved out my day, finding every excuse to continue the story. That said, I do think it's worth pausing to reflect on scenes and chapters, especially if you feel you did not understand them (or, alternatively, if they resonated deeply with you). It is a heavy story, and with all heavy things, we must pause to rest between carrying them.

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achiunicorn's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.5

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gabriellejane's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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