A slower-paced mystery/thriller tackling really important subject matter of the far too high numbers of missing and murdered indigenous woman. HonestlA slower-paced mystery/thriller tackling really important subject matter of the far too high numbers of missing and murdered indigenous woman. Honestly I thought this was great, though I suspect it might be a little slow to start for some readers.
Blood Sisters follows Syd Walker, a queer Cherokee archaeologist who works for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. As a kid, she and her sister narrowly escaped death during a traumatic attack where their best friend lost her life. Now, her sister is missing and she is assigned to aid the investigation because it involves a skull as evidence. She leaves behind her pregnant wife to go home for the first time in years, determined to find and save her sister before it's too late.
We get a slower build as we get to know the setting and characters, but this eventually becomes rather pulse-pounding. It twists in unexpected ways and has a very satisfying ending. I would love to see this character re-appear in future books. One of the things that I loved about this approach is it deals with intensely heavy and traumatic subject matter without turning it into trauma porn. There is violence, misogyny, and abuse but we don't need a lot of graphic description to understand what has happened. And for women who have already experienced trauma, they don't need to relive it in that way. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this given the subject matter, but I thought it was excellent. ...more
This was great!! A middle grade graphic novel about an indigenous two-spirit kid named Anang who wants to make a ribbon skirt to w4.5 stars rounded up
This was great!! A middle grade graphic novel about an indigenous two-spirit kid named Anang who wants to make a ribbon skirt to wear during their Anishanaabe cultural traditions at pow-wow. They face some transphobic bullying from kids who don't understand non-binary identities, but it's really uplifting. I have said this before, but I think it's amazing that we have this kind of representation available in children's literature now. Kids need to be able to see themselves represented! I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own....more
I really enjoyed this collection of essays on indigeneity, coming of age, trauma, healing, queer identity, relationships, and more4.5 stars rounded up
I really enjoyed this collection of essays on indigeneity, coming of age, trauma, healing, queer identity, relationships, and more. Thunder Song feels personal and a bit raw, but with enough distance to be thoughtful. It doesn't shy away from examining complicated relationships- with parents, romantic partners, and self. Places where there may be both love and hurt, but the opportunity for growth and perhaps healing and reconciliation. The writing is lovely and I would read more from this author in the future. The audio narration is also excellent. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
A charming historical fiction novel for children with the vibes of Anne of Green Gables and an indigenous heroine! Lucy is a young French-Ojibwe girl A charming historical fiction novel for children with the vibes of Anne of Green Gables and an indigenous heroine! Lucy is a young French-Ojibwe girl who has been orphaned and is taken in by a large and loving family that runs a lighthouse. She's full of imagination, but that tends to get her into trouble as she struggles to adjust to her new life and find her place. All the while searching for a fabled ruby necklace that was lost in a shipwreck...
This is the second book I've read from this author and I think the way she writes young characters feels very reminiscent of LM Montgomery. This was funny and heartwarming, with plenty of mistakes and adventure. Definitely worth a read! The audio narration is excellent too. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own....more
Y'all this book stressed me the hell out!! There's a lot that's great about it, but some of Embers choices and lies she told had m3.5 stars rounded up
Y'all this book stressed me the hell out!! There's a lot that's great about it, but some of Embers choices and lies she told had me about dying. The Truth According to Ember is a contemporary rom-com with indigenous main characters from less than privileged backgrounds, trying to find success in the corporate world while dealing with microagressions. Oh and unexpectedly falling for each other despite policies against dating in the office!
Ember is smart and ambitious, but her education was cut short by having to provide for her family. And saying she's indigenous on applications isn't getting her any interviews. So she decides to lie- a few accounting classes are fudged into a degree and she says she's Caucasian. Which she partly is, so is it really a lie??? And it works! She gets an accounting job after faking her way through the interview process, only to meet the very hot indigenous IT guy...
I love what this book is trying to do- centering characters who are indigenous and didn't grow up in wealthy families with easy access to education, trying to build a future in a challenging environment. I'm not the only reviewer to say this, but while the romance is a significant part of the plot, even more of it is spent exploring Embers experiences navigating this new job. And as someone who is much more of an anxiety prone rule follower, it was difficult to read some of the choices she made and things she got caught up in. But your mileage on that may vary. I'm glad this book exists and hope to see more from the author in the future! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
Great ending to a fantastic series! I love Jade Daniels as a character and enjoyed how almost all of this book was from her perspective. It's a final Great ending to a fantastic series! I love Jade Daniels as a character and enjoyed how almost all of this book was from her perspective. It's a final showdown facing the Lake Witch, back in small town Proofrock, Idaho. And in this book, Jade has a job as a high school history teacher, which is quite the full circle moment. She has this great arc of growth and healing by facing her past, but in a brutal slasher with twists you don't expect. It also deals with mental health and responses to childhood trauma.
I will say I'm left with some lingering questions, but I kind of think that's the point. And for fans of horror films, each book in the series references a bunch of different films (this time even extending to Cocaine Bear). I don't feel like I'm doing this book justice, but it's so good and if you like horror and haven't yet picked up this trilogy you really should. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own....more
If you loved Elatsoe you should definitely pick up Sheine Lende as well! This follows Ellie's grandmother as a teen girl in the 194.5 stars rounded up
If you loved Elatsoe you should definitely pick up Sheine Lende as well! This follows Ellie's grandmother as a teen girl in the 1970's when magic makes her mom and two kids disappear and Shane is on a mission to find them, even if it means a trip to the underworld. It's a slower-paced novel that is as interested in developing the characters and their backgrounds as it is in the search and rescue with mystery elements. It's a lovely, heartfelt story with adventure that expands on the magical world of Elatsoe and integrates the history and culture of the Lipan Apache people. Loved it! I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own....more
This is a really cool project and a great poetry collection! It's tri-lingual, including the two languages it was originally written in Zoque and SpanThis is a really cool project and a great poetry collection! It's tri-lingual, including the two languages it was originally written in Zoque and Spanish, as well as an English translation. The author is Mexican and Indigenous, writing poems that are typically very feminist and deeply rooted in her sense of identity and indigenous spirituality. It's definitely worth a read and the audiobook is cool because the author reads her own work in Zoque and Spanish. I received an audio review copy of this book for review from Libro.FM, all opinions are my own....more
I don't think there's a problem with this as a remix, it's just that I should have realized the fact that I found the original text material bDNF @50%
I don't think there's a problem with this as a remix, it's just that I should have realized the fact that I found the original text material boring might also extend to a different version of it. It took me forever to get halfway through and I'm just not super interested in the premise. I think the writing itself is pretty good and I like the idea of bringing indigenous and queer characters into the story, it's a case of it just not being for me. If you loved The Secret Garden you will probably get on better with this than I did. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany)
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