A review by annemaries_shelves
The Theory of Crows by David A. Robertson
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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