A review by elinordashwood
The Marionettes by Katie Wismer

fast-paced

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

While this was a fast-paced, high stakes book with interesting worldbuilding, I was uncomfortable with the appropriation of Native American elements in the book. Both the wendigo and the skinwalker are used here in ways that are totally devoid from their cultural context, contributing to erasure of the actual Indigenous myths. Because they are so different from their sources, I have a hard time understanding why the author didn't just create their own words or simply call them something like "flesh-eaters" and "bone witches." If this were changed, I would be in a position to unreservedly recommend this book as a fun homage to YA urban fantasy of yore, but unfortunately, when the homage extends to maintaining problematic elements (especially surrounding indigenous cultures), I can no longer in good faith tell others to read this.