Reviews

A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt

alicerebekah's review

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

moyadestroya's review against another edition

3.25

3.25-.5 stars, a lot of mixed feelings on this

robotswithpersonality's review

Superb. The eminently frustrating part of reading an author with such a way with words is not being able to convey your admiration in as worthy terms! The characters are searingly alive, yet subtle portraits of struggle, their stories, strains making up the minor chorus, are a mix of heartbreaking and hopeful, joyful, clear testaments, analogues of the realities of Indigenous experience in what is called Canada. This book offered not just a valuable opportunity to reflect on an own voices perspective, but hit a little harder encountering the relatable aspects of the narrator's life, the loneliness of moving away from all family to Edmonton to pursue higher education, being in your 20s and trying to determine how much the seeking of a relationship has to do with shoring up a fragile internal structure, scaffolding for a future fully developed person/version of you, struggling through grad school, trying to cling to whatever you convinced yourself would be that certain outcome of jumping through all the scholastic hoops, even as that appears to be less and less probable. Love the structure and, I cannot state this enough, the WRITING. Please go read it, I'll never do it justice. 

⚠️SA, suicide, police brutality, racism, emotional and physical abuse, discussion of residential schools 

wynnepei's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

theodoregraham's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

rready's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-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? Yes

3.75

druy10's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

redochre's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

nicomarlyse's review against another edition

5.0

I tore through this and it tore through me. Belcourt writes with this very urgent voice that keeps me falling from page to page. The intensity of it all! The gender of it all! The sexuality of it all! I am so hungry and Billy-Ray feeds me!

A Minor Chorus siphoned out of me sooo many swirly emotions. Poured them into labeled vessels. Showed me what each emotion is, how they differ in color and viscosity, even if only a little. And he did it all so gently. He showed me my heartbreak and my evil and my anger then he made me giggle! Gave me a little kiss on the forehead! Belcourt is so so good at that, at showing me parts of me by showing me parts of him, parts of the world.

Such an underrated writer but he is so young! I am hoping the world will appreciate his talent one day soon!!

seeyouinorbit's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0