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A review by bookswithbibi
Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This is a hard book for me to review.
On the one hand, I appreciated the commentary on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. On how they (and their families looking for them) get dismissed and forgotten by law enforcement, on the generational trauma and racism, and ongoing colonialism that impacts Indigenous peoples every day.
On the other hand, I don't think Carrie Starr and her story were the best avenue to make this essential commentary. She mostly elicited such annoyance and negative feelings from me that it distracted from the important messages and themes the author was trying to convey. I also found that the multiple POVs were too much and gave away the mystery. I would've appreciated one or two POVs to get away from Carrie's, but the amount the author had was too much for me. I had sympathy for Carrie, what she went through, and as half-Indigenous, never feeling like she belonged in either the white world or the Indigenous world (something I can relate to as a transracial adoptee). However, I never connected with her, and I was rooting for her to move away from her biases for the sake of the missing women, not specifically for her character development.
The only redeeming characters I found were the Deer Woman and Chenoa. I loved the storytelling aspect, and the story of Deer Woman was a shining star.
On the one hand, I appreciated the commentary on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. On how they (and their families looking for them) get dismissed and forgotten by law enforcement, on the generational trauma and racism, and ongoing colonialism that impacts Indigenous peoples every day.
On the other hand, I don't think Carrie Starr and her story were the best avenue to make this essential commentary. She mostly elicited such annoyance and negative feelings from me that it distracted from the important messages and themes the author was trying to convey. I also found that the multiple POVs were too much and gave away the mystery. I would've appreciated one or two POVs to get away from Carrie's, but the amount the author had was too much for me. I had sympathy for Carrie, what she went through, and as half-Indigenous, never feeling like she belonged in either the white world or the Indigenous world (something I can relate to as a transracial adoptee). However, I never connected with her, and I was rooting for her to move away from her biases for the sake of the missing women, not specifically for her character development.
The only redeeming characters I found were the Deer Woman and Chenoa. I loved the storytelling aspect, and the story of Deer Woman was a shining star.