There There exposes the sad truth and harsh reality that comes with being an urban Indigenous person in the states. I really liked the additional context and historical information within the prologue and those scattered between chapters. Not all readers know the history of native Americans as it is, so I appreciate that.

I liked reading about the diverse cast and their different experiences—fetal alcohol syndrome, motherhood, assault, addiction, cultural disconnect, physical insecurities, etc. However, I think there may have been too many characters which makes it hard to keep up or remember who's who. The cast is stretched thin so room for development is scarce. I think this could have been more poignant and impactful if the cast was pruned a little bit, allowing individual characters to shine brighter. I thought Dene Oxendene was going to have a much greater impact/presence but he was very much a background entity.

Most of the book is just a buildup to the last few pages, which are fast and devastating. It's realistic—that's life, especially the countless lives lost and scarred due to colonization. I'm sure the abruptness is a commentary on that. However, I still think it could have been paced differently and wrapped up better. For now it seems like a setup for a sequel.

I love to read fiction based on real events and life experiences, but this book was a bit of a drag to get through until the actual powwow began.

Still very informative and interesting, but of course it fell flat for me as a non native who doesn't resonate with it as much. :[