Scan barcode
tania_mybookishsecret's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Death, and Bullying
Moderate: Death of parent, Animal death, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Self harm, and Addiction
yasidiaz'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? Yes
4.5
I tend to go for lighthearted and cheesy romances, and I'm always rooting for a happy ending. So for me to pick a book that from the book description alone, I could tell it wasn't going to be my usual cheesy and happy queer romances. Instead, I was taken to a heartwrenching story filled with grief, death, and love.
This book was exactly what I expected, which is always a good thing, and while it surprised me in a few parts, it didn't surprise me enough for 5 stars. I would still love to read more from this author, as they have a way of not just words, but take off through the journey of a biracial Native girl and her loss. I also sometimes felt the characters didn't feel strong for me, especially those who weren't Phil and Winifred. I would have loved to get more depth from the supporting characters, especially the antagonistic ones like Penny. Hated her guts, but sometimes felt the way she was described harbored some internalized misogyny. Had the characters felt more real to me, this would have been a 5 stars book for sure.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Death of parent, Addiction, and Death
dayhod'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
3.5
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Drug abuse, and Murder
Minor: Self harm
happyunicorn7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Cancer, Addiction, Animal death, Drug abuse, Death, and Drug use
emetrock's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Grief
Minor: Death of parent and Animal death
mpbookreviews's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Vomit, Drug abuse, Bullying, Animal death, Death of parent, and Homophobia
saara_ilona_muu's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Self harm, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Lesbophobia, Bullying, Child death, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Animal death, and Death of parent
chronologically_charlie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Animal death, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Self harm, Drug abuse, Racism, Bullying, and Lesbophobia
multiplyoctopi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Animal death, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Drug abuse
readingwithkaitlyn's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
As a queer Indigenous reader and reviewer, this book excited me. In some aspects it delivered and in others I was a bit disappointed. Starting with the writing, if that was what my rating was solely based on, I would have gave this book 5 stars. Cherie Dimaline can tell a story that is vivid and imaginative. The sentences are beautifully constructed and have a simple beauty to them. They aren't super flowery but each line builds a clear image in your head. Having this book set primarily in a cemetery gave it an atmospheric edge. In terms of Indigenous literature, this is a stand out novel. This meshed Indigenous culture seamlessly into a wider story. That allowed for it to be present and relevant to the story without it being the sole focal point. Which, once more, speaks volumes for this book and the way the author constructs stories.
For the plot, I thought it was quite solid. Through Winifred's eyes we see a wider story, focusing beyond the main plot of a lonely girl being in a cemetery and befriending Phil, a ghost who she sees as badass and cool. That remains a central part of the story but there are layers, like grief and neglect, and what that does to people. And what is even more exciting about this story is the way Phil tells us stories of her life within the actual story. And from her eyes we see even more of a plot, like the struggles of finding your place in the world when you're different from others, and how others may interact with you because of those differences. I could feel the connection between Winifred and Phil but wish we could have seen them do more stuff together. Having them work together on a common goal would have tied it all together in a perfect package. Instead it did feel at times like they were working alongside the plot rather than in line with it.
Overall my feelings about the story itself are positive, but there are aspects in the book that I found troubling and dampened my experience, as well as overall thoughts on it. There is tons of fat shaming in this book which made me uncomfortable. It took the pride and joy I felt as a queer Indigenous reader and had me wondering if the author would even tolerate someone like me who is fat. At first it was aimed primarily at Winifred's obese chihuahua. Although uncomfortable, and some thoughts can be drawn if those feelings would be reflected onto people, I could look past a lot of it because of how I was enjoying the story. However, there came a point where Winifred was thinking back on a teacher she had who is described as big and her best friend Jack ended up drawing that teacher as a "fat pig" that the class laughed at. It was the moment that started up their friendship. Even if it is set from the perspective of a kid, and kids can be cruel, it just felt unnecessary. There was also a moment where the same teacher was likened to Hitler, which felt out of place in this book and a bit insensitive to any Jewish readers who might pick it up.
I'm not someone who thinks characters can't be flawed and have arcs, but it makes hesitate on reading again from this author. Who I absolutely still want to read from as a fan of their writing. If that was not in here this book would easily be a 4 star read for me.
Overall, a good book that could use some tweaking and reconsideration for the readers.
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Grief, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, Drug use, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Self harm, Death, Dementia, Sexual content, Drug abuse, and Rape
Moderate: Cancer and Alcohol
Homelessness, death from childbirth, slurs.