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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
The blurb: "An Indigenous woman adopted by white parents goes in search of her identity in this unforgettable debut novel about family, race, and history."
I've read several novels by indigenous writers, and the blurb interested me enough to read this story. I liked the premise, but this wasn't a smooth, cohesive read for me. The timelines and different POVs, in particular, are what distracts from the story. Each chapter almost seemed like its own short story instead of a flow from one scene or chapter to the next.
This novel highlights important issues: inter-racial adoption, residential schools, and generational trauma. This may be the read for those who enjoy non-linear stories.
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC.
I've read several novels by indigenous writers, and the blurb interested me enough to read this story. I liked the premise, but this wasn't a smooth, cohesive read for me. The timelines and different POVs, in particular, are what distracts from the story. Each chapter almost seemed like its own short story instead of a flow from one scene or chapter to the next.
This novel highlights important issues: inter-racial adoption, residential schools, and generational trauma. This may be the read for those who enjoy non-linear stories.
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC.
3.6. The last several chapters were particularly polished and almost lyrical.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not quite what I was expecting. I think some people will love this kind of book. This is definitely a character focused rather than plot focused book. I did like how it was set up, learning about Ruby through the people connected to her, and the book covered topics around adoption, race, identity, generational trauma and more in ways that felt authentic.
The timeline jumping and perspective shifts were at times hard for me to keep up with and I found myself frequently questioning if we had met a character already or if it was a new one.
A middle of the road book for me, which could just mean it's not my type of book. It may speak to certain people in much deeper ways than it did to me.
The timeline jumping and perspective shifts were at times hard for me to keep up with and I found myself frequently questioning if we had met a character already or if it was a new one.
A middle of the road book for me, which could just mean it's not my type of book. It may speak to certain people in much deeper ways than it did to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Car accident, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Racism, Self harm, Vomit, Colonisation
Minor: Death of parent
I almost gave up on this book early on. I didn't like the overt sexual comments, nor did I like the jumping around from chapter to chapter - the chapters represented very different time periods and different protagonists speaking. It seemed very disjointed.
But then it clicked and I got into it and enjoyed it immensely.
It's a growing up story of an indigenous woman in Canada looking for her birth mother. Some of the chapters are difficult to read - as expected, given the nature of the story. I think it's very well crafted and written.
It did end suddenly - I literally turned the page expecting more and flipped back to re-read the ending. And it still took me by surprise.
On the whole, a worthwhile read.
But then it clicked and I got into it and enjoyed it immensely.
It's a growing up story of an indigenous woman in Canada looking for her birth mother. Some of the chapters are difficult to read - as expected, given the nature of the story. I think it's very well crafted and written.
It did end suddenly - I literally turned the page expecting more and flipped back to re-read the ending. And it still took me by surprise.
On the whole, a worthwhile read.
Heart wrenching and beautiful, but I found the narrative and characters hard to follow because it jumped around in time and place and people so much.
Such an important topic and book. I really wanted to like it more. I am solely basing my rating on how excited I was to pick up the book, and I just couldn’t get into the story.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to love this book.
Lisa Bird-Wilson has a beautiful writing style that offered many tender, thought-provoking quotes.
Unfortunately, the non-sequential storytelling and 3rd person narration style just didn’t work for me. The reader meets many characters but none feel fully realized (not even Ruby herself). Few are memorable.
I spent so much time flipping back and forth to understand the timeline and to double check if I had been introduced to certain characters previously, that I quickly lost interest. The distant narrator made it hard to empathize with Ruby, a character who has experienced unspeakable loss and whose story is centered on unrelenting, heart wrenching desire. I wanted to root for her, but just couldn’t.
Lisa Bird-Wilson has a beautiful writing style that offered many tender, thought-provoking quotes.
Unfortunately, the non-sequential storytelling and 3rd person narration style just didn’t work for me. The reader meets many characters but none feel fully realized (not even Ruby herself). Few are memorable.
I spent so much time flipping back and forth to understand the timeline and to double check if I had been introduced to certain characters previously, that I quickly lost interest. The distant narrator made it hard to empathize with Ruby, a character who has experienced unspeakable loss and whose story is centered on unrelenting, heart wrenching desire. I wanted to root for her, but just couldn’t.