Status
Available
Call number
Call number
FIC ROB c.17
Collection
Description
Everyone knows a guy like Jared: the burnout kid in high school who sells weed cookies and has a scary mom who's often wasted and wielding some kind of weapon. Jared does smoke and drink too much, and he does make the best cookies in town, and his mom is a mess, but he's also a kid who has an immense capacity for compassion and an impulse to watch over people more than twice his age, and he can't rely on anyone for consistent love and support, except for his flatulent pit bull, Baby Killer (he calls her Baby)--and now she's dead. Jared can't count on his mom to stay sober and stick around to take care of him. He can't rely on his dad to pay the bills and support his new wife and step-daughter. Jared is only sixteen but feels like he is the one who must stabilize his family's life, even look out for his elderly neighbours. But he struggles to keep everything afloat ... and sometimes he blacks out. And he puzzles over why his maternal grandmother has never liked him, why she says he's the son of a trickster, that he isn't human. Mind you, ravens speak to him--even when he's not stoned. You think you know Jared, but you don't.… (more)
Series
Publication
Vintage Canada (2018), 336 pages
Original publication date
2017-02-07
Original language
English
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member MaggieFlo
I did not finish. This is an awful book
LibraryThing member ainjel
This is a winter book. The type of book you want to curl up with, with a cup of tea, and stare out the window, watching the rain or snow hall. It's the kind of book where not much happens, but by the end, you feel entirely satisfied. It's the type of book that shows "how the other half lives," and
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explains why they live this way. And then there's a twist (for lack of a better term) midway through that only further explains why life is this way for these people. It's a journey in character, a bilsdungroman for the son of a trickster. It's quite a feat, and highly enjoyable the full ride through. Show Less
LibraryThing member Iudita
I have read many favourable reviews of this book with the most open mind I could muster, but....I just don't get it. I thought there was very little to admire about this book. I wish I could say otherwise because many people have loved it but that remains a mystery to me.
LibraryThing member bucketofrhymes
Absolutely loving Eden Robinson's writing style and how pitch-perfect her characterization of teenagers is. I'm not a huge fan of magical realism generally, but I was intrigued with this book and look forward to reading more from Eden.
LibraryThing member miken32
Fairly unstructured without much of a narrative arc, but I did still enjoy the writing even if the subject matter was pretty depressing. This very much feels like the first of a trilogy, it’s a shame the whole thing wasn’t released at once.
LibraryThing member RodRaglin
An entertaining story about a disturbing problem - growing up First Nations in Canada
Jared is a fifteen year-old First Nations youth living with his mother, Maggie and her boyfriend in a small town in northern British Columbia.
To say Jared's family is dysfunctional would be an understatement. His
Jared's a smart kid with a smarter mouth and struggles to maintain some normalcy in his life despite his role models. This becomes increasingly difficult since it's not only his family but all his peers who indulge in similar destructive lifestyles.
Indeed, author Eden Robinson has included almost every type of self-destructive and anti-social behavior you can imagine including domestic violence, bullying, promiscuity, self-mutilation, S&M and, of course drugs, more drugs all topped off with binge drinking.
As Jared's life lurches from crisis to crisis he copes by staying stoned or inebriated or both. Soon he can't tell what is real and what isn't. When he reaches out to some elders for help, including his paternal grandmother, he discovers they have an entirely different agenda for him.
Yet despite the magical power of the cultural mythic creatures that align themselves with Jared in his time of need his salvation comes in a very conventional form, which unfortunately makes for an anti-climatic ending.
Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson is a page turner for sure. The author does a remarkable job of defining her characters through authentic dialogue and dramatic action. The story in some places is laugh out loud funny and in others almost too painful to read. Her portrayal of Jared's young life as a First Nations youth is brutal and honest though never didactic.
In this era of "Idle No More", mainstream media has come under criticism for it's coverage of First Nations people and their issues suggesting they are always depicted by the three "Ds" - drumming, drunk or dead.
As a journalist and an author I agree with the criticism and am attempting to understand more about the issues and the people so it can be reflected with honest and empathy in my writing.
Though an entertaining book, Son of a Trickster is an extremely negative representation of First Nations people. It's a good thing Robinson is a First Nations person herself, otherwise it's unlikely her book would have been short-listed for the Giller Prize, one of the most prestigious literary awards in Canada.
Jared is a fifteen year-old First Nations youth living with his mother, Maggie and her boyfriend in a small town in northern British Columbia.
To say Jared's family is dysfunctional would be an understatement. His
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mother has a homicidal temper and has been jailed for assault and mandated to take anger management programs. His home is a party house from which his mother and her boyfriend sell drugs and partake in other criminal activity. Jared's a smart kid with a smarter mouth and struggles to maintain some normalcy in his life despite his role models. This becomes increasingly difficult since it's not only his family but all his peers who indulge in similar destructive lifestyles.
Indeed, author Eden Robinson has included almost every type of self-destructive and anti-social behavior you can imagine including domestic violence, bullying, promiscuity, self-mutilation, S&M and, of course drugs, more drugs all topped off with binge drinking.
As Jared's life lurches from crisis to crisis he copes by staying stoned or inebriated or both. Soon he can't tell what is real and what isn't. When he reaches out to some elders for help, including his paternal grandmother, he discovers they have an entirely different agenda for him.
Yet despite the magical power of the cultural mythic creatures that align themselves with Jared in his time of need his salvation comes in a very conventional form, which unfortunately makes for an anti-climatic ending.
Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson is a page turner for sure. The author does a remarkable job of defining her characters through authentic dialogue and dramatic action. The story in some places is laugh out loud funny and in others almost too painful to read. Her portrayal of Jared's young life as a First Nations youth is brutal and honest though never didactic.
In this era of "Idle No More", mainstream media has come under criticism for it's coverage of First Nations people and their issues suggesting they are always depicted by the three "Ds" - drumming, drunk or dead.
As a journalist and an author I agree with the criticism and am attempting to understand more about the issues and the people so it can be reflected with honest and empathy in my writing.
Though an entertaining book, Son of a Trickster is an extremely negative representation of First Nations people. It's a good thing Robinson is a First Nations person herself, otherwise it's unlikely her book would have been short-listed for the Giller Prize, one of the most prestigious literary awards in Canada.
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LibraryThing member Lindsay_W
Jared and his mother are members of the Haisla Nation of Northern British Columbia. Both seem to be caught in a cycle of using drugs and alcohol to escape their pain and family dysfunction – or is it something else in their family legacy that is haunting them? “We all start out as humans –
Three things to know going into this book: One, it helps if you know a bit about the role of the Trickster in Indigenous culture, and specifically about the Haisla people of Northern BC. Two, this is a trilogy, so don’t expect all your questions to be answered, things are just getting started here. And three, if you have the paperback version with the sparkly purple otter who looks like she’s headed for a play date with Rainbow Fish, be warned, the ghosts of the Otter People in this story will tear you to shreds in a dark cave. (Pick up the hardcover with the beautiful raven feathers and fireflies on it instead)
I’m glad I waited until now to read Son of a Trickster, as the second one, Trickster Drift, is coming out this fall – and the cover artwork is stunning!
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the moment we realize we aren’t is always awkward.”Three things to know going into this book: One, it helps if you know a bit about the role of the Trickster in Indigenous culture, and specifically about the Haisla people of Northern BC. Two, this is a trilogy, so don’t expect all your questions to be answered, things are just getting started here. And three, if you have the paperback version with the sparkly purple otter who looks like she’s headed for a play date with Rainbow Fish, be warned, the ghosts of the Otter People in this story will tear you to shreds in a dark cave. (Pick up the hardcover with the beautiful raven feathers and fireflies on it instead)
I’m glad I waited until now to read Son of a Trickster, as the second one, Trickster Drift, is coming out this fall – and the cover artwork is stunning!
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LibraryThing member charlie68
A little overrated not as good as I was expecting, and being a part of a trilogy is disappointing as there is two more too come. Adequately written it takes 200 pages to "get good", and the ending is better, but not perhaps worth the trip to get there.
LibraryThing member fiverivers
I had to think for awhile about Eden Robinson’s first two novels in her Trickster trilogy, Son of a Trickster, which was shortlisted for the Giller in 2018, and Trickster Drift.
The novels tell the story of Jared, a burned-out kid of mid-adolescence, living on the west coast of Canada in an
The novels can easily slide into magic realism, even dark urban fantasy. They are relentless in pace and emotional tension, with tight, spare writing that mirrors the desperation of Jared’s life. Certainly, the novels are award-worthy. Not easy to read because of the brutality and hopelessness of the narrative. But most definitely brilliantly written. You could say they are a modern, dark take on J.D. Salinger’s now legendary Catcher in the Rye.
What has given me pause, however—and please understand this in no way is a reflection of the author’s skill—is the classification of these novels. That is to say, they are marketed as YA.
When my daughter-in-law informed me of that, I was, to put it mildly, gobsmacked. What follows in this review-come-commentary, contains many spoilers, so be advised.
Perhaps my problem with the novels is a sign of my own ageing, of carrying with me what is perhaps an outdated compass more suited to senior citizens than current societal standards. But having read these novels I have to wonder about what kind of standards and messages we’re cementing in society, let alone for our youth, particularly First Nations youth, with the promulgation of literature so egregiously violent and lacking in hope.
As a first example I give you Maggie, Jared’s mother. She is a bad-ass junkie of a mother, with a reputation of a witch in the Haisla tradition, whose expertise, besides being able to cast curses and wardings, is to ally herself to a drug-dealing man who has about as much interest in carving out a safe, secure environment for Jared let alone Maggie, as finding a legitimate way to make his way in the world. Maggie swings between fierce love, casual neglect, and outright violence toward her son. The worldview she imparts to Jared is that in order to get by you have to be tougher, stronger, more violent than anyone who opposes you, no boundaries, anything goes. She helps him to deal. She obtains for him a handgun and teaches him how to use it.
As illustration of her complete lack of parenting skills, when she discovers a previous boyfriend, David, was in the act of sadistic, violent torture of her son (kneeling on Jared’s chest so that he could slowly, casually, break the boy’s ribs), her response is to nail David’s feet to the floor with a power-nailer. (I won’t get into the implausibility of sneaking up on someone with a power-nailer.) When she drags Jared out from under David, she then, in a rage and without regard for Jared’s serious injury, commands Jared to nail David’s armpits to the floor. Only after Jared refuses is an EMS team summoned and the boy’s injuries addressed. He then spends his recovery couch-surfing with an elderly neighbour.
The level of egregious violence and written detail regarding this encounter put me in mind of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy.
And this is only one example of the relentless onslaught of graphic violence in both novels.
Now, understand, I have no difficulty whatever with this level of violence and darkness in novels for adults. Certainly, I’ve published fiction for adults by authors who write this sort of dark literature. However, I do have a great deal of difficulty with novels of such an explicit and hopeless nature for young adults. I have to ask myself, perhaps in a typically senior fashion, what kind of message does this send to our youth? It’s hard enough finding your way as a young person, particularly today, without creating a normalized view of this sort of violence. And then what about First Nations youth who are, of course, going to want to read work by a First Nations author, particularly literature targeted for exactly their demographic?
That suicide rates, alcohol and substance abuse are rife among our First Nations youth is a national crisis. And then we’re going to introduce this kind of literature to them, let them know it’s okay to read because it’s been cleared by the publishing gatekeepers for them? And then we’re going to expect them to be able to find some sense of hope? That there’s a way out? That there’s maybe something more hopeful in their society and their lives than violence, drug abuse and the endless repetition of that? That they’re told they need to educate themselves, but then read about a young person who is desperately trying to do just that, and who is constantly dragged down not only by drugs and violence, but by the magic of his own culture? That there’s no way out but through violence?
That’s the message in these two books. It’s very clear. As an adult, I can discern, navigate, discuss. But as a young person? Sure, I’m not saying young people aren’t capable of rational thought. But I am saying if you continue to disseminate a message of violence and hopelessness, that’s what you get.
So, at the heart of this categorization of the Trickster Trilogy as YA, I cannot help but feel this is no more than a marketing ploy by the publishers to capitalize on a soaring trend in literature. Ride the YA train to financial gain. The hell with any kind of societal responsibility, particularly to First Nations youth.
Would I recommend the Trickster Trilogy? Most definitely. To adults. But I will never recommend these novels as reading for YA.
The novels tell the story of Jared, a burned-out kid of mid-adolescence, living on the west coast of Canada in an
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Haisla Nation family. To say his family dynamics are abusive and dysfunctional would be understatement. With no moral compass but his own sense of compassion, and desire for something better, brighter, he gets by in high school by squeezing cramming sessions of study in between baking and selling pot cookies in order to pay the bills. And when it all becomes too much, he sinks into binge-drinking.The novels can easily slide into magic realism, even dark urban fantasy. They are relentless in pace and emotional tension, with tight, spare writing that mirrors the desperation of Jared’s life. Certainly, the novels are award-worthy. Not easy to read because of the brutality and hopelessness of the narrative. But most definitely brilliantly written. You could say they are a modern, dark take on J.D. Salinger’s now legendary Catcher in the Rye.
What has given me pause, however—and please understand this in no way is a reflection of the author’s skill—is the classification of these novels. That is to say, they are marketed as YA.
When my daughter-in-law informed me of that, I was, to put it mildly, gobsmacked. What follows in this review-come-commentary, contains many spoilers, so be advised.
Perhaps my problem with the novels is a sign of my own ageing, of carrying with me what is perhaps an outdated compass more suited to senior citizens than current societal standards. But having read these novels I have to wonder about what kind of standards and messages we’re cementing in society, let alone for our youth, particularly First Nations youth, with the promulgation of literature so egregiously violent and lacking in hope.
As a first example I give you Maggie, Jared’s mother. She is a bad-ass junkie of a mother, with a reputation of a witch in the Haisla tradition, whose expertise, besides being able to cast curses and wardings, is to ally herself to a drug-dealing man who has about as much interest in carving out a safe, secure environment for Jared let alone Maggie, as finding a legitimate way to make his way in the world. Maggie swings between fierce love, casual neglect, and outright violence toward her son. The worldview she imparts to Jared is that in order to get by you have to be tougher, stronger, more violent than anyone who opposes you, no boundaries, anything goes. She helps him to deal. She obtains for him a handgun and teaches him how to use it.
As illustration of her complete lack of parenting skills, when she discovers a previous boyfriend, David, was in the act of sadistic, violent torture of her son (kneeling on Jared’s chest so that he could slowly, casually, break the boy’s ribs), her response is to nail David’s feet to the floor with a power-nailer. (I won’t get into the implausibility of sneaking up on someone with a power-nailer.) When she drags Jared out from under David, she then, in a rage and without regard for Jared’s serious injury, commands Jared to nail David’s armpits to the floor. Only after Jared refuses is an EMS team summoned and the boy’s injuries addressed. He then spends his recovery couch-surfing with an elderly neighbour.
The level of egregious violence and written detail regarding this encounter put me in mind of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy.
And this is only one example of the relentless onslaught of graphic violence in both novels.
Now, understand, I have no difficulty whatever with this level of violence and darkness in novels for adults. Certainly, I’ve published fiction for adults by authors who write this sort of dark literature. However, I do have a great deal of difficulty with novels of such an explicit and hopeless nature for young adults. I have to ask myself, perhaps in a typically senior fashion, what kind of message does this send to our youth? It’s hard enough finding your way as a young person, particularly today, without creating a normalized view of this sort of violence. And then what about First Nations youth who are, of course, going to want to read work by a First Nations author, particularly literature targeted for exactly their demographic?
That suicide rates, alcohol and substance abuse are rife among our First Nations youth is a national crisis. And then we’re going to introduce this kind of literature to them, let them know it’s okay to read because it’s been cleared by the publishing gatekeepers for them? And then we’re going to expect them to be able to find some sense of hope? That there’s a way out? That there’s maybe something more hopeful in their society and their lives than violence, drug abuse and the endless repetition of that? That they’re told they need to educate themselves, but then read about a young person who is desperately trying to do just that, and who is constantly dragged down not only by drugs and violence, but by the magic of his own culture? That there’s no way out but through violence?
That’s the message in these two books. It’s very clear. As an adult, I can discern, navigate, discuss. But as a young person? Sure, I’m not saying young people aren’t capable of rational thought. But I am saying if you continue to disseminate a message of violence and hopelessness, that’s what you get.
So, at the heart of this categorization of the Trickster Trilogy as YA, I cannot help but feel this is no more than a marketing ploy by the publishers to capitalize on a soaring trend in literature. Ride the YA train to financial gain. The hell with any kind of societal responsibility, particularly to First Nations youth.
Would I recommend the Trickster Trilogy? Most definitely. To adults. But I will never recommend these novels as reading for YA.
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LibraryThing member gypsysmom
I really like how Eden Robinson writes so I feel bad about giving this a relatively low score. However, magical realism just does not work for me and as we got deeper into the book there was more magic. I was to the point where, even though I had less than 10 pages to get to the end, I had to put
Jared lives in Kitimat, British Columbia with his mother and her drug-dealer boyfriend. His mother was very young when she had Jared and she never seems to have figured out that she is his parent and not his good buddy. At sixteen, Jared is in grade 10 and getting pretty good grades even though he drinks to excess and does drugs often. Mostly he smokes weed but he is also known as the Cookie Dude because he makes cookies with marijuana in them. Jared's dad lives in nearby Terrace and can't work due to a workplace injury. Jared uses the money from his cookie sales to pay the back rent on his dad's apartment. When Jared's mom finds out about this she throws a fit and then disappears with her boyfriend for weeks. Then Jared uses his money to pay the electricity bill which is in arrears. He is basically a good kid and he helps out his elderly neighbours often. When their granddaughter comes to live with them Jared is very attracted to her. Pretty soon they are hanging out together and then having sex. Could things be turning around for Jaren? Not in the slightest; he starts seeing things and imagining his dog has come back to life and seeing a monster under the skin of an old woman who offers him a ride. And then there are the cannibalistic river otters. That scene pretty much did the book in for me.
This book is on the shortlist for the 2017 Giller Prize. It will be interesting to see if the jury picks this book over the other contenders.
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it aside to finish later. I'm sure some people will just love this though.Jared lives in Kitimat, British Columbia with his mother and her drug-dealer boyfriend. His mother was very young when she had Jared and she never seems to have figured out that she is his parent and not his good buddy. At sixteen, Jared is in grade 10 and getting pretty good grades even though he drinks to excess and does drugs often. Mostly he smokes weed but he is also known as the Cookie Dude because he makes cookies with marijuana in them. Jared's dad lives in nearby Terrace and can't work due to a workplace injury. Jared uses the money from his cookie sales to pay the back rent on his dad's apartment. When Jared's mom finds out about this she throws a fit and then disappears with her boyfriend for weeks. Then Jared uses his money to pay the electricity bill which is in arrears. He is basically a good kid and he helps out his elderly neighbours often. When their granddaughter comes to live with them Jared is very attracted to her. Pretty soon they are hanging out together and then having sex. Could things be turning around for Jaren? Not in the slightest; he starts seeing things and imagining his dog has come back to life and seeing a monster under the skin of an old woman who offers him a ride. And then there are the cannibalistic river otters. That scene pretty much did the book in for me.
This book is on the shortlist for the 2017 Giller Prize. It will be interesting to see if the jury picks this book over the other contenders.
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LibraryThing member RandyMetcalfe
Jared is a teenager living in Kitimat in northern B.C. with his native mom and her current boyfriend, Richie. Jared’s got the normal problems of teenagers — alcohol, drugs, sex, and surviving high school. Plus his mom is somewhat challenging even when she’s not drunk, or high on coke, or out
Eden Robinson brings Jared and his friends entirely to life in this novel. That’s no small feat since Jared’s life will be outside the experience zone of most readers, I think. He’s funny and sensitive and sweet but life for him is especially hard. It probably doesn’t help that there are rumours that he’s not entirely human, that he’s really the offspring of the Trickster god, Wee’git. And just like that, Robinson is able to weave the mythic into her gritty realism in such a way that the reader just takes it as one more of the many things weighing down Jared’s life.
That has a double edge. Because life is hard enough without also learning that you and your mom and others are at the mercy of not-so-friendly gods and witches. If this mythic world is real — and certainly it is consistently taken as real in the novel — then it seems very unfair. Yet one hesitates to think what all this means if the mythic here is not real.
As the novel develops, Jared’s interactions with the spirit-world increase with numerous consequences. Alas, just as things are taking a turn, this novel ends. Just one of the dangers of reading something that turns out to be a trilogy. Now I’ll definitely have to track down the next two books in the series. And all of Eden Robinson’s other writings as well.
Easily recommended.
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of her head on meth. At least Jared has some elderly neighbours, the Jaks, that he likes. And he’s got a hobby, baking cookies. Okay, they are not your ordinary cookies, but at least gaining the label “Cookie Dude” by the stoner crowd is some kind of acceptance at school. And now Sarah, the Jaks’ granddaughter, has come to stay with them. Sarah is smart and sassy and beautifully weird. And if he could ignore the talking fireflies buzzing around her head, she’d be great.Eden Robinson brings Jared and his friends entirely to life in this novel. That’s no small feat since Jared’s life will be outside the experience zone of most readers, I think. He’s funny and sensitive and sweet but life for him is especially hard. It probably doesn’t help that there are rumours that he’s not entirely human, that he’s really the offspring of the Trickster god, Wee’git. And just like that, Robinson is able to weave the mythic into her gritty realism in such a way that the reader just takes it as one more of the many things weighing down Jared’s life.
That has a double edge. Because life is hard enough without also learning that you and your mom and others are at the mercy of not-so-friendly gods and witches. If this mythic world is real — and certainly it is consistently taken as real in the novel — then it seems very unfair. Yet one hesitates to think what all this means if the mythic here is not real.
As the novel develops, Jared’s interactions with the spirit-world increase with numerous consequences. Alas, just as things are taking a turn, this novel ends. Just one of the dangers of reading something that turns out to be a trilogy. Now I’ll definitely have to track down the next two books in the series. And all of Eden Robinson’s other writings as well.
Easily recommended.
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LibraryThing member alanteder
Does eventually take off
I was with the 1 star reviews for the longest time here (some of those may have been dnf's who gave up too early). The first 200 pages or so seemed like an endless cycle of drinking, drugging, sexing and txting with only the occasional hint of the spirit world elements that
It becomes more understandable when you read elsewhere that "Son of a Trickster" is only the first part of a trilogy and thus only about 1/3rd of a 1,000 page manuscript. Having Jared's initial teenage years compressed into only a few chapters probably would not have given the right sense of balance and shock that comes from the magic world that eventually reveals itself. It may not feel like the main plot has been earned enough if it is revealed too early. But the challenge to the reader is to plod through the early parts which may become tedious and repetitive. Thankfully, Jared is smart and sharp-tongued and often very entertaining with his quips which hopefully will get you through the dismal parts. It does take off in the end so just hang in there. Books 2 and 3 should be even more compelling.
I was with the 1 star reviews for the longest time here (some of those may have been dnf's who gave up too early). The first 200 pages or so seemed like an endless cycle of drinking, drugging, sexing and txting with only the occasional hint of the spirit world elements that
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come to the forefront in the final third of the book. Then, it became very compelling and intriguing. How to judge that reader experience? I've settled for a 3 as an average between a 1 at front end and a 5 at the back end.It becomes more understandable when you read elsewhere that "Son of a Trickster" is only the first part of a trilogy and thus only about 1/3rd of a 1,000 page manuscript. Having Jared's initial teenage years compressed into only a few chapters probably would not have given the right sense of balance and shock that comes from the magic world that eventually reveals itself. It may not feel like the main plot has been earned enough if it is revealed too early. But the challenge to the reader is to plod through the early parts which may become tedious and repetitive. Thankfully, Jared is smart and sharp-tongued and often very entertaining with his quips which hopefully will get you through the dismal parts. It does take off in the end so just hang in there. Books 2 and 3 should be even more compelling.
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LibraryThing member LynnB
I was enjoying the story of Jared's struggles in high school; besides the usual peer pressure and daily teenage struggles, Jared is Aboriginal, an alcoholic who uses and sell drugs. His mother is, at her best, neglectful. At her worse, she is violent. Often she is actually gone. In spite of this,
Then, the magic sets in. Mom is a witch. Jared's father is a mythical trickster. Animals start talking. And more. I lost interest because, to me, this detracted from my ability to view Jared as a real person.
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Jared has some strong qualities that made me root for him. He has confidence and a strong sense of himself when dealing with bullies. He is loving and forgiving of his severely flawed parents and grandmothers. He's a loyal friend who helps the elderly couple next door.Then, the magic sets in. Mom is a witch. Jared's father is a mythical trickster. Animals start talking. And more. I lost interest because, to me, this detracted from my ability to view Jared as a real person.
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LibraryThing member pjohanneson
It's propulsive, it's compelling, it kept me up late and it made me wake up early to finish reading. The characters are brilliantly drawn, flawed, human (even the ones that aren't technically human...), and the story is plainly told. I can't wait to read the sequel.
LibraryThing member LDVoorberg
This is not the Thomas King trickster I was expecting! King's Coyote trickster is ironic/satirical and mischievous, and the King quotation at the start led me to believe it was this kind of trickster. Instead, it's the more West Coast trickster, more evil in intentions that comes out in the final
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third of the book. While that switch is fine, and I can read a book with that kind of magic/witchery, it was unexpected and a bit of a swerve. I didn't relate to all the drugs and drinking and violence of the pre-spirits part of the book, but I was very intrigued and curious to know where it would go. The writing and the wit of the dialogue kept me captivated. I like the characters who are real and flawed but interesting. When the spirits come, I have a harder time envisioning or relating to the plot, but it's still intriguing enough that I'll at least read #2. This book does feel like an introduction, a scene-setting for a bigger story, so I'm interested to see where it goes from here. Show Less
LibraryThing member booklove2
I had to read this as it will be a CW show coming up soon! I did like the subtle nod to another CW show, Supernatural, in this book, as I was sensing a bit of influence there. I think this story will fit right along. I would NOT say this is a young adult novel, even though the main character is a
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teenager. This book is fierce, brutal, real. Maybe I don't know YA books anymore, but I'm wondering who the target audience is for this. Sometimes the characters are a little too real and spicy. NO Jared's mom does NOT kiss her mother with that mouth as her mother is the one being targeted with the name calling. Irrational mothers are tough. But there is a bit here to appreciate about Jared's mom - just as long as you aren't the one living with her. I feel like the book ends just as the supernatural stuff begins... most of the book is Jared's difficult teenage life of taking care of everyone else when not partying and that gets a slight bit repetitive. But your heart never stops bleeding empathy for Jared from the first page. This kid could be so responsible if he gets away from these bonehead adults. But Robinson does a great job balancing the Native culture/ supernatural/ teenage hijinks and making it seem like a natural fit in a very real way. Robinson is good. Looking forward to the remainder of the trilogy and the show and definitely whatever else Robinson wants to write. Show Less
LibraryThing member fionaanne
When they start putting trigger warnings on books, this one will need several. There's a lot of raw unpleasantness here and honestly, for the first third of the book I felt like the author was trying to prove how "hard" she was. By the time I was finished, I appreciated the not nice-ness as
A big fat thank you to whatever publisher it was who sent me this free copy for review.
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necessary to the story and really got into the characters. But its prose is very sparse and I would have liked more in some places where this "less is more" philosophy seems to hamper my understanding of what's happening between the characters. Also, I would have liked more talking crows.A big fat thank you to whatever publisher it was who sent me this free copy for review.
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LibraryThing member gadosiahe
An interesting book, first in a trilogy, that is nothing like what you expect. Or at least nothing like what I expected, going in. The characters are interesting, and surprisingly complex as you find out more about them. I was expecting a fantasy plot, but fantasy only really figures into the last
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third of the book or so. I think the hardest thing to adapt to in the book was the way the author, Eden Robinson, addresses time - or rather, does not address time. It can be difficult to tell how much time has passed between chapters, or when something is a sudden flashback or time jump. I struggled with that for about three chapters, and then I caught on to the way Robinson is writing. Beyond that, the book grabs you quite well, and despite it being completely unlike what I thought it was going to be, it was a fantastic and refreshing read. Very excited to read the rest of the trilogy. Show Less
LibraryThing member xaverie
I'm in British Columbia for a work conference so I'll write a review when I'm back in Ontario at my desk, but I loved this book a lot.
LibraryThing member obtusata
This is exactly the kind of book that I would have loved as a teenager. It's full of teenage and family drama, great characters, and intriguing magic and spirits. I'm excited to read more of Robinson's work and I can't wait to read the rest of this trilogy.
LibraryThing member beentsy
I'm so glad this is going to be a trilogy. Can't wait for the next installment.
ISBN
0345810791 / 9780345810793