Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Die Traumdiebe by Cherie Dimaline

77 reviews

leahjanespeare's review against another edition

4.0

Wow, a very important but pretty brutal read. It's that near-future that we can't really call dystopian nowadays because so many similar events have happened in real life now. It is a boy's pov which I didn't expect going in (these days there aren't as many out there) and it wasn't my favorite, but the story is really about survival and community, so there were a lot of other elements I did like. I say 'like' but wow are there a lot of disturbing things here. Just make sure to check general trigger warnings before diving in - any Indigenous history is going to be 'hard' to read, but as a white person I think it is my responsibility to be aware of the history (or in this case slightly-ficitonal history). It's basically an extension to the horrible history of Indian boarding schools, something both Canada and the US love to keep burying. Anyway, I recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, and Genocide

Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, and Rape

ladykatka's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-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? No

5.0

This has been on my radar for awhile and I'm glad I finally read it. I understand why it is on the reading list in Canadian schools. This is quite a powerful read and very emotional. I listened to the audiobook and the music between chapters leaves you with a deep feeling of dread. Well done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Death, Genocide, Kidnapping, Murder, Child death, Racism, and Violence

rachelfayreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Violence, Racism, Kidnapping, Genocide, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Rape, and Murder

djreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Dystopian is the right category for this book. It’s sad and hard to read at points but it’s also beautiful. For such a short book, it took me through a lot. But the ending was really worth it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Torture, and Violence

lpdx's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Rape, Violence, Child abuse, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Torture, Trafficking, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Medical trauma, and Hate crime

Moderate: Confinement and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Drug use and Cannibalism

sshabein's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Violence, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Child death

srjennings's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Great book! The narrator of the audio was very good.  The plot is compelling and ties together history of oppression/ genocide of native peoples and an imagined future where they're hunted for their use to save white people.  The characters are complex. Not all native people are good and not all the whites are bad.  The main character,  Frenchie, does things that are wrong or at least questionable and struggles with huge amounts of trauma, loss,  and violence, as do the others.  The culture and history of indigenous people is interwoven throughout the story.  
Overall a great story and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Racism, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Rape, and Mental illness

charrlee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

When I opened The Marrow Thieves, it was definitely not the type of book I was anticipating. That being said, I really enjoyed the read! Cherie Dimaline has utilized her book to break open the lid on a very important conversation: what does means to have Indigenous futurity? Specifically, the implementation of Anishinabee (often referred to as "the language" in the book) throughout the book really held my attention. As I read The Marrow Thieves I found myself reflecting on Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass, and I believe there is an important dialogue that can be had when connecting these two texts. After all, there is much to learn from the land and the language, and The Marrow Thieves will tell you that much.

Dimaline's book is extremely moving: from (found) family, reconnection to roots, and navigation through loss, there is truly so much to gain from reading her work. Though perhaps, what is most bone chilling about this book, is that we already know this story; it has happened before. Additionally, I found the read especially challenging because it made me rethink my definition of apocalypse. In a world that is all to eerily similar to our own, Dimaline makes you confront the fact that the apocalypse has already occurred, is continuing to occur, and will occur -- simultaneously, and specifically against Indigenous people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Racism, and Genocide

Moderate: Kidnapping, Body horror, and Violence

Minor: Trafficking and Child death

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Child death

Minor: Pregnancy, Alcohol, Genocide, Animal death, Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Colonisation, Addiction, War, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Vomit, Excrement, Gun violence, and Stalking

Residential schools, global warming, pollution, starvation, disease.

milliemillz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Death, Child death, Violence, and Sexual violence