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charrlee's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
- 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
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.obscurepages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
There's something so visceral and melancholic in the writing style, but there's also the tiniest bits of humor and I love that. I also love how this book is just filled with hope and love, just as much as it's filled with grief. It speaks so much of what humans have done to the environment (since their world is now broken because of global warming) and other people (the way Native Americans are being hunted). Language and culture is a big part of this story too and it is beautifully profound.
Overall, an such an incredible story. Glad I was able to discover and read this book!
(Lots of CWs for this one tho please take care of yourselves. CW: residential schools, violence, colonial trauma, racism, genocide, death, grief, torture, sexual assault, pedophilia, injuries)
Graphic: Racism, Murder, Violence, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Colonisation, and Torture
Moderate: Genocide, Violence, and Grief
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Grief, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Child abuse, Gore, Blood, Murder, Animal death, Death, Child death, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Colonisation, Vomit, Sexual violence, Stalking, Rape, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism
sarahemhavens's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Genocide, Death, Colonisation, Violence, Grief, Forced institutionalization, and Murder
abitbetterbooks's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
This book was stunning from start to finish, the prose was flawless, descriptive and evocative, the characters vibrant and life-like, the concepts and world-building absolutely horrifying and captivating, so close to home and hauntingly prophetic.
The only thing I wished for was a bit more plot wrapping up at the end, it felt like there was a lot of lead up to one particular moment and I was kind of hoping for a few more answers to how everything would unfold, even now knowing there’s a second book!
Anyways, Wab deserves the entire world, and I don’t think I’ve ever had my heart broken by anything as much as Isaac & Miig.
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Death, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Grief, Violence, Death of parent, Genocide, and Racism
Moderate: Blood, Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
msbarnesela's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The plot moves quickly, and the chapters are short. The premise is compelling. The characters make sense, given the situation and setting. I wanted good things for them. They weren’t always likable, but they’re trying to survive while people are hunting them, and most of them are also dealing with puberty, so some prickliness is to be expected.
I’m not a huge fan of the style of the prose. The book is from the perspective of the main character, who is a teen boy. The way his emotions and observations are narrated feels a little too exaggerated while also being weirdly self-aware. I would have enjoyed a bit more emotional subtlety and maybe just more writing craft? But again, I’m not the target audience. And I wonder if some of the storytelling techniques are echoing oral narrative techniques that I’m just not culturally connected to.
This is a book that I will use with my students. It has references to some really terrible things (see content warnings), but none of it is graphic. Violence and sex are acknowledged but not narrated, so it’s appropriate for younger high school (and maybe mature 8th graders, with adult support to contextualize and process the traumatic parts). Stylistically and structurally, it’s probably an easy enough read for middle grades.
Moderate: Blood, Death, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Racism, Trafficking, Violence, Child death, Cultural appropriation, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Medical content, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Rape, and Trafficking
One character alludes to being gang-raped (the lead-up and aftermath are briefly detailed, but not the rape itself). Another character is said to have been raped (no detail). Kidnapping, trafficking, medical experimentation, and murder of indigenous people are the premise of the book, so it’s to be expected that it’s referenced. Residential schools are referenced frequently, but there’s very little description of the experience of institutionalization since only one character in the book had spent any time in the schools. There is one reference to sexual arousal between two teens, but nothing happens beyond kissing, and it’s awkwardly and abruptly interrupted. Two young adult characters couple up, and the woman is mentioned to be pregnant, but it’s a passing reference. Some characters shoot people (mostly justifiable self-defense) and feel bad about it afterwards.livroses's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Colonisation, Genocide, Racism, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Child death
Minor: Child abuse, Vomit, Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Death of parent
augustar14's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Sexual assault, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Alcoholism, and Vomit
Minor: Sexism, Xenophobia, Confinement, Medical content, Cannibalism, and War
hyggeandtea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Genocide, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Colonisation, Grief, Gun violence, Racism, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual content
Moderate: Animal death, Drug use, Gore, and Torture