ratstronomer's review
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Kate Beaton’s sequential storytelling is reflective and moving. I learned a lot about the Canadian oil sands and the people who work there in search of financial hope like herself. Nothing is ever black and white and I think Kate illustrates that reality beautifully. Everyone who works in the sands is changed, even Kate.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Rape, Racial slurs, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Car accident and Suicide
marisamidori's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Sexual assault
spinningjenny's review
emotional
informative
fast-paced
4.5
Great text. Don't usually read graphic novels but this pulled me in at the library and was stellar all the way to the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexism
Minor: Suicide
kaitlyncookies's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
I absolutely loved this graphic memoir. I love when I can get a behind the scenes look at a new industry or career, and honestly I had no idea what kinds of jobs existed in the oil sands. Beaton's experience is especially illuminating because she is a female working in an overwhelmingly male dominated field. The thing Beaton does incredibly well in this memoir is she never forgets that everyone she interacts with in the oil sands is a human being, and someone whose behaviour and attitudes have ultimately been shaped by their environment.
Spoiler
Beaton experiences some of the worst workplace dynamics I've ever read about and yet, she never dehumanizes any of her coworkers, an astonishing feat after everything we see Beaton experience.Overall I think this is an incredibly important memoir that sheds light on a troubling industry that nonetheless continues to play a significant part in the Canadian economy. It also adds to the growing conversation about what happens to those who live in a place without viable employment opportunities, and the choice that must be made between living where you desire versus where you must
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Suicide
towardinfinitybooks's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape
Minor: Addiction, Suicide, Drug abuse, and Stalking
mkbuehen's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide, Rape, and Death
indulgentreads's review
I remember long ago when Kate Beaton posted a few panels of her story that became the basis for this memoir - it too was called Ducks. I've been keen to read Ducks ever since, and it's been worth the wait. Beaton's voice and art was always growing and developing with every strip of Hark a Vagrant, and underneath the silly wit there was always an undercurrent of insightful observations and spot on critiques. Ducks feels like a culmination of sorts, a nod to that era of her life while giving us a full picture of her talent and insight both now and then. Another reviewer here wrote "The resulting product is poignant and uncertain. There are no great realizations or revelations to be had about Beaton's time in the oil sands. Like most things in our lives, there is both good and bad to be found in the retelling, and it is Beaton's understanding of this that really sells this book." It's an excellent example of how to do a memoir, by letting us sit in the complexity of her memories.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide
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