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4.5/5
This is a beautiful novel about horrible, terrible things.
It's about Indigenous women who've each experienced their own tragedy, but still help each other, and support each other, and lift each other up.
It's about the kind of systematic oppression that's rooted in Canadian society to forget about Indigenous people, and Indigenous women.
It's about fighting for what is right, and uncovering truth and justice.
It's about growing up and learning, and working through it with and without a support system.
TW: (though there is one at the beginning of the novel) sexual, verbal, physical assault and abuse, r*pe, fatphobia, missing and murdered indigenous women
(Just a side note: The only real problem I have with it is the fat phobia (more on Tommy than Phoenix). Normally, I don't tend to point out stuff like this, because we've other problems in the world than worrying about fat phobia (this coming from a "fat" person, me), especially with a novel like this one. But it was just so apparent, and I've never heard of anyone addressing it in regards to this novel, so I figured it would be worth pointing out in a review.)
This is a beautiful novel about horrible, terrible things.
It's about Indigenous women who've each experienced their own tragedy, but still help each other, and support each other, and lift each other up.
It's about the kind of systematic oppression that's rooted in Canadian society to forget about Indigenous people, and Indigenous women.
It's about fighting for what is right, and uncovering truth and justice.
It's about growing up and learning, and working through it with and without a support system.
TW: (though there is one at the beginning of the novel) sexual, verbal, physical assault and abuse, r*pe, fatphobia, missing and murdered indigenous women
(Just a side note: The only real problem I have with it is the fat phobia (more on Tommy than Phoenix). Normally, I don't tend to point out stuff like this, because we've other problems in the world than worrying about fat phobia (this coming from a "fat" person, me), especially with a novel like this one. But it was just so apparent, and I've never heard of anyone addressing it in regards to this novel, so I figured it would be worth pointing out in a review.)
Edit, April 4th, 2018: 5/5 stars. Proof that sometimes being an English major is great! After unpacking this book in an essay, I can truly say that there is so much to this book that is so impactful.
TW: sexual assault, domestic violence, mental abuse, trauma, drowning
This book is many things, but it's mostly incredibly heartbreaking. It's also a book I'd recommend to people (*cough*white canadians*cough*) who have problems getting over racist stereotypes of Indigenous people. It portrays the inter-generational hardships and traumas that Indigenous people go through as effect of colonization and residential school. Big trigger warnings throughout the entire book, but if you can stomach it, it's definitely worth the read.
I'm not sure how much else I can say about it, I don't feel like I'm intelligent enough to properly convey what this book deals with. Not a perfect 5 star mostly because it wasn't all there for me, but I read this for class and don't tend to gravitate towards more literary styles anyways.
TW: sexual assault, domestic violence, mental abuse, trauma, drowning
This book is many things, but it's mostly incredibly heartbreaking. It's also a book I'd recommend to people (*cough*white canadians*cough*) who have problems getting over racist stereotypes of Indigenous people. It portrays the inter-generational hardships and traumas that Indigenous people go through as effect of colonization and residential school. Big trigger warnings throughout the entire book, but if you can stomach it, it's definitely worth the read.
I'm not sure how much else I can say about it, I don't feel like I'm intelligent enough to properly convey what this book deals with. Not a perfect 5 star mostly because it wasn't all there for me, but I read this for class and don't tend to gravitate towards more literary styles anyways.
The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins
Griffin McElroy, Clint McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, Carey Pietsch
Thank you so much to Macmillan for sending me this advanced copy!
I'm not even sure where to start with reviewing this because I just love it a lot. Even if you've never heard of The Adventure Zone podcast, I still recommend this. If you are a fan of The Adventure Zone already, you need to go in knowing that everyone is going interpret an audio-only podcast differently. Some things are different, obviously, there's not as much room for bants when you're trying to build a shrunk down, linear plot for a graphic novel. But as we know from listening to the podcast, the team worked super closely with the McElroys to make the best possible graphic novel they could. The character designs were super well done too (and they even put some fan art in the back, which I loved! I don't think they could've fully gotten the final designs with out the fan art being around for so long). I laughed out loud so much, there were still bants and jokes, and I recognized stuff from the podcast, even though it's been I while since I've listened to this first arc.
So if you don't already know The Adventure Zone is a Dungeons and Dragons podcast created by the McElroy brothers, featuring their dad. Now, they don't exactly follow the D&D rule book to a T, for entertainment and podcast reasons, but it's super fun! So this is the graphic novel version. I think knowing this will definitely help going into it, when Griffin pops up saying he's the dungeon master, but I think casual people at the bookstore picking this up will catch on pretty quickly.
5/5 stars, can't wait for this to officially come out!
I'm not even sure where to start with reviewing this because I just love it a lot. Even if you've never heard of The Adventure Zone podcast, I still recommend this. If you are a fan of The Adventure Zone already, you need to go in knowing that everyone is going interpret an audio-only podcast differently. Some things are different, obviously, there's not as much room for bants when you're trying to build a shrunk down, linear plot for a graphic novel. But as we know from listening to the podcast, the team worked super closely with the McElroys to make the best possible graphic novel they could. The character designs were super well done too (and they even put some fan art in the back, which I loved! I don't think they could've fully gotten the final designs with out the fan art being around for so long). I laughed out loud so much, there were still bants and jokes, and I recognized stuff from the podcast, even though it's been I while since I've listened to this first arc.
So if you don't already know The Adventure Zone is a Dungeons and Dragons podcast created by the McElroy brothers, featuring their dad. Now, they don't exactly follow the D&D rule book to a T, for entertainment and podcast reasons, but it's super fun! So this is the graphic novel version. I think knowing this will definitely help going into it, when Griffin pops up saying he's the dungeon master, but I think casual people at the bookstore picking this up will catch on pretty quickly.
5/5 stars, can't wait for this to officially come out!
TW: sexual assault, assault, ptsd, trauma, domestic abuse, abandonment
I always have such a difficult time, not only reviewing books with this amount of personal narrative, but rating them. I can't give this book 5 stars because of how horrible it is. But I want to give it 5 stars because of how horrible it is?
This is a memoir written by an Indigenous woman, a narration of the trauma she has experienced throughout her life and the narrative itself kind of comes to a conclusion of resolution with the trauma. The writing is beautiful and lyrical and contrasts itself with the harshness of the content. There's no linear plot to follow at first, but it slowly reveals itself and allows the reader to figure out the timeline for themselves. The timeline doesn't really matter, though, as much as narrative itself. It's not about forgiving abusers, or forgetting the trauma, but allowing yourself to /be/ with it and not let it overtake you.
If you're looking to read a raw, emotional memoir about trauma that women and Indigenous women face, read this.
I always have such a difficult time, not only reviewing books with this amount of personal narrative, but rating them. I can't give this book 5 stars because of how horrible it is. But I want to give it 5 stars because of how horrible it is?
This is a memoir written by an Indigenous woman, a narration of the trauma she has experienced throughout her life and the narrative itself kind of comes to a conclusion of resolution with the trauma. The writing is beautiful and lyrical and contrasts itself with the harshness of the content. There's no linear plot to follow at first, but it slowly reveals itself and allows the reader to figure out the timeline for themselves. The timeline doesn't really matter, though, as much as narrative itself. It's not about forgiving abusers, or forgetting the trauma, but allowing yourself to /be/ with it and not let it overtake you.
If you're looking to read a raw, emotional memoir about trauma that women and Indigenous women face, read this.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Re-read Jan 9th 2020:
To add to my initial review, I think Jared as a main character is a fantastic perspective on colonization. Being loyal to his mother, especially, despite her drug use and drinking, and occasionally participating himself but actively working to make his life better than the cards he as an Indigenous person has been dealt and make his mother's life better as well despite her trauma is an act of decolonization, whether Jared realizes that or not. At first it may not seem like it to the reader, he's not up to date on politics regarding Indigenous peoples and his community, he's not looking to police the people around him, but by being there for them and caring for them and his personal relationships with others in his community is a fantastic lens on decolonization.
Anyways, this is still 5/5 stars.
TW: physical assault, drug abuse, alcoholism, substance abuse, hallucination, self harm
This book was everything I would expect from Eden Robinson and I loved it. Where Monkey Beach follows a Haisla girl trying to piece together her life in knowing the power she has and the things she sees, Son of a Trickster follows Jared, who find himself in a similar position. He has the aftermath of Residential schools straining on his family, his mom is kind of strange, but loves him the same. But her mom has always called him a Trickster, and the name and her curses have weighed heavily on him his whole life. This novel follows him in grade 10 (15 years-old, I believe) as everything in his life starts to come to a point.
Eden Robinson is freaking brilliant and you should read her novels stat.
To add to my initial review, I think Jared as a main character is a fantastic perspective on colonization. Being loyal to his mother, especially, despite her drug use and drinking, and occasionally participating himself but actively working to make his life better than the cards he as an Indigenous person has been dealt and make his mother's life better as well despite her trauma is an act of decolonization, whether Jared realizes that or not. At first it may not seem like it to the reader, he's not up to date on politics regarding Indigenous peoples and his community, he's not looking to police the people around him, but by being there for them and caring for them and his personal relationships with others in his community is a fantastic lens on decolonization.
Anyways, this is still 5/5 stars.
TW: physical assault, drug abuse, alcoholism, substance abuse, hallucination, self harm
This book was everything I would expect from Eden Robinson and I loved it. Where Monkey Beach follows a Haisla girl trying to piece together her life in knowing the power she has and the things she sees, Son of a Trickster follows Jared, who find himself in a similar position. He has the aftermath of Residential schools straining on his family, his mom is kind of strange, but loves him the same. But her mom has always called him a Trickster, and the name and her curses have weighed heavily on him his whole life. This novel follows him in grade 10 (15 years-old, I believe) as everything in his life starts to come to a point.
Eden Robinson is freaking brilliant and you should read her novels stat.
First of all thanks so much to Simon and Schuster Canada for holding a giveaway in which I received an ARC!
edit: 1 star. I really don't remember my initial enjoyment, all I remember is all the things I hated, sorry!
This book is in the point-of-view of high school junior, Lara Jean. She's half-Korean (which was really cool to read) and her mother died when she was young. She lives with her dad, Margot (her older sister), and Kitty/Katherine (her younger sister). At the beginning of the book you find out that Margot is moving away to Scotland for college and has just broken up with Josh, the sister's long-time friend and neighbor. Things happen, you learn more things, and then Lara-Jean's five letters go missing. When Lara Jean falls in love with a boy she writes a love letter to them expressing all her feelings and put its it away to never be seen again. She does this because afterwards, she doesn't feel the same about them anymore. As it turns out, the letters have been mailed out to the five boys - one of them includes Josh.
I was in the same grade as the main character last year, but I couldn't relate to her. The story itself is unrealistic for a contemporary and while I had fun reading, I couldn't seem to emerge myself. And... um... character development? Where was it?... The conclusion? Is it not there cause it was an ARC? Are all of Jenny Han's books this open ended?
HOWEVER after perusing through this book on Goodreads, I found out that it is book one of a duology. In this case, I will probably read the second because there is so much room for other things to happen here.
And although I just kinda bashed this book, I'm happy to say that I'd recommend it to someone looking for a contemporary with minor drama.
edit: 1 star. I really don't remember my initial enjoyment, all I remember is all the things I hated, sorry!
This book is in the point-of-view of high school junior, Lara Jean. She's half-Korean (which was really cool to read) and her mother died when she was young. She lives with her dad, Margot (her older sister), and Kitty/Katherine (her younger sister). At the beginning of the book you find out that Margot is moving away to Scotland for college and has just broken up with Josh, the sister's long-time friend and neighbor. Things happen, you learn more things, and then Lara-Jean's five letters go missing. When Lara Jean falls in love with a boy she writes a love letter to them expressing all her feelings and put its it away to never be seen again. She does this because afterwards, she doesn't feel the same about them anymore. As it turns out, the letters have been mailed out to the five boys - one of them includes Josh.
I was in the same grade as the main character last year, but I couldn't relate to her. The story itself is unrealistic for a contemporary and while I had fun reading, I couldn't seem to emerge myself. And... um... character development? Where was it?... The conclusion? Is it not there cause it was an ARC? Are all of Jenny Han's books this open ended?
HOWEVER after perusing through this book on Goodreads, I found out that it is book one of a duology. In this case, I will probably read the second because there is so much room for other things to happen here.
And although I just kinda bashed this book, I'm happy to say that I'd recommend it to someone looking for a contemporary with minor drama.
I'm not even sure where to start on this book. I think it's so good and so important and I'm so glad that it's being put out into the world. I love the characters, I loved what they shared.
If I think of more I'll update, but really I'm just so glad people will get to read this story.
(5/5 stars)
If I think of more I'll update, but really I'm just so glad people will get to read this story.
(5/5 stars)
