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meggles's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
rebeccazh's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
4.5 stars. Short story collections are usually a hit or miss to me but I was really blown away by the quality of this collection. Through very varied short stories, Thompson is able to give a very comprehensive look at the lives of Aboriginal Australians in the present day, living under the shadow of centuries of colonialism/genocide and present-day institutional and widespread oppression/racism. There are some really memorable stories (my fav is Descendent) but there isn't one that I found boring or lacking -- which is rare in a short story collection. I highly recommend this book.
elnechnntt's review against another edition
5.0
Wow.
An absolutely incredible collection of short stories. Highly nuanced, at times scathing, often raw ~ every single story hit me right in the stomach.
This one is seething with emotion. There’s the sense of something moving between the pages, behind the stories, as you move through them. Thompson’s writing is rich and strong - I haven’t read a collection as polished and evocative as this in a long time.
Absolutely cannot wait to read more from him.
An absolutely incredible collection of short stories. Highly nuanced, at times scathing, often raw ~ every single story hit me right in the stomach.
This one is seething with emotion. There’s the sense of something moving between the pages, behind the stories, as you move through them. Thompson’s writing is rich and strong - I haven’t read a collection as polished and evocative as this in a long time.
Absolutely cannot wait to read more from him.
nickdleblanc's review against another edition
3.0
Cool, if a bit one-note, stories by an Aboriginal author. I wished while reading this that Thompson had provided a bit more connective tissue to these stories and called it a novel. It would work that way. Admittedly, I did notice that there was at least one hint that all of these stories were taking place in the same world. Many of the stories had similar structures, but because the content was so new to me I remained interested. Morpork was probably my fav. Two Dollar Radio consistently puts out good stuff.
tklassy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
kittyka0s's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
egwescombe's review against another edition
fast-paced
- 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
I really enjoyed this. Not much of a short story fan but I felt these had distinct voices and didn't shy away from having unlikeable characters and strong and varied political messages. Loved that it was Tasmanian and covered so many issues impacting Tasmanian Aborginals. Stimulated some very interesting discussions in book club!
halleyc's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5