Search

Search only in certain items:

Firekeeper's Daughter
Firekeeper's Daughter
Angeline Boulley | 2021 | LGBTQ+, Mystery, Young Adult (YA)
8
9.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
An expansive and lovely #OwnVoices tale
Daunis Fontaine feels torn between two worlds--growing up worrying about her Mom and dreaming of becoming a doctor and then being an unenrolled member of the Ojibwe tribe. Her late father was a member and so is her half-brother, Levi. When Daunis' uncle dies and she decides to stay home and attend local community college to take care of her mom, she feels trapped. But the arrival of Jamie, a new member of Levi's hockey team, is a bright spot. The two become fast friends. However, everything changes when Daunis witnesses a horrible murder, and she becomes an informant for the FBI. Suddenly, everything she knows about her hometown and the tribe changes.

"I learned there were times when I was expected to be a Fontaine and other times when it was safe to be a Firekeeper."

This is an excellent book--more mystery than I thought it would be. It covers a lot of topics--sometimes more than seems necessary. Racism, tribal issues, sexual assault, depression, drug abuse, FBI informants, romance, murder... there's a lot packed into this book. However, it does a great job looking into how meth and drug abuse affect the Native American community (as well as sexual assault). It's heartbreaking at times, but also compelling and educational.

"My mother's superpower is turning my ordinary worries into monsters so huge and pervasive that her distress and heartache become almost debilitating. I can protect her from that hurt."

Daunis is a very sympathetic and likeable character. She's dedicated to her family, to her tribe, and her community. She takes on a lot for a kid her age. Sometimes it felt like the informant plot was a little much, a little contrived, but overall, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. It was wonderful to read an #OwnVoices book of such quality and scope, and I look forward to what Boulley does next.

I read this book as part of my new reading project--choosing books off my shelves based on their Goodreads rankings. This is my fourth book of the project, forcing me out of my comfort zone and to try books in genres I don't usually read!
  
Pretty Girls: A Novel
Pretty Girls: A Novel
Karin Slaughter | 2016 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
8.4 (20 Ratings)
Book Rating
Wow. Let me start by saying that there is definitely reason enough for this book to come with warning labels, such as ⚠ graphic scenes, extreme violence, descriptive sexual assault ⚠
However, I am not easily traumatized, so I read on, even though I'd been told by several readers how gruesome it is. They were not wrong. Pretty Girls is without a doubt the most gruesome book I've ever read. That aside, all-in-all, I loved it. It certainly kept me on my toes, had my heart pounding, halted my breathing once or twice. The only reason I have 4 instead of 5 stars is because, every now and then, I felt myself go almost numb. Not bored, oh no, but in a trance-like state where I'd still be reading, but I couldn't absorb the words, causing me to go back a page or so. It was definitely overload. There was also one particular event that, if I'm honest, kind of irritated me with it's simplicity. Overall, however, I enjoyed the thrill!
  
40x40

Leslye Headland recommended Bombshell (2019) in Movies (curated)

 
Bombshell (2019)
Bombshell (2019)
2019 | Drama

"So here’s the challenge: Tell the story of a disturbing legacy of sexual violence systemically perpetrated by one man, but perpetuated by an industry that delivered potential victims to the door of his office almost daily. Any takers? Yeah… Hollywood moguls aren’t exactly leaping at the chance to examine such behavior off-screen, let alone on-screen. It’s why “Bombshell,” Jay Roach’s electrifyingly empathetic new film, feels so necessary and cathartic. Roach directs brilliant actors (Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie) as brilliant journalists who blew the whistle on Roger Ailes (John Lithgow), that special brand of psychopath who was not only their abuser but also responsible for their careers. With deft documentary-style camera work, Roach expertly unfurls the vipers nest of cult-like psychosis that permeates every floor of Fox News. His perfected technique of blending existing footage with stunning re-creations make a scene like Megyn Kelly (Theron) and Trump at the Republican Primary debate somehow more realistic than when it actually happened. But rather than leaning into satire, Roach weaves in enough humor and humanity that in some moments “Fox News” could be any office. It’s not a political film. It’s a film about women. Roach understands that workplace sexual assault is not about how you vote or what news channel you watch or even about sex. It’s about fear and power. Human emotions wielded in offices around the country every day. “Bombshell” is the result of a compassionate filmmaker who knew the responsibility of telling this tough but important story."

Source