Disclaimers: I'm reviewing an uncorrected proof ebook version acquired via NetGalley, I'm choosing to leave an unbiased review, and I'm not qualified to comment in-depth on aboriginal representation.

 

More disclaimers: Um, so I just want to note for the record that I already named characters Cole and Ash in BLIND THE EYES before I read this book. No plagiarism. I guess Canadian authors just think alike? lol.

 

I loved this WAY more than I expected to. To get a few critiques out of the way, the cover looks a little off to me (more indie or MG maybe?), so I wasn't expecting a lot of polish. The first few pages are also a little disorienting, because the author launches with a different perspective from the main POV, incorporates supernatural elements immediately without explanation, and references past events without backstory at first. All of which turns out to be great in the scope of the story, but it feels like jumping in the deep end.

 

This is the story of a 17yo Cree First Nations teen who left his rural home community in elementary school and is attending high school in Winnipeg at the time the story opens. A supernatural being is trying to lure him back to his hometown. His aunt and grandmother don't want him to return for reasons that aren't explained at first, but we discover that there's past trauma and bullying to contend with. Cole also has some superior abilities that may be more than natural. There's a lot going on in the plot:

 

-trickster spirits, ghosts, unexplained supernatural/paranormal phenomena
-murder mystery/thriller
-romance? maybe?
-bullying, trauma & clinical anxiety (incl. struggles with medication)
-rural vs. city enmities/tension
-First Nations/aboriginal experience (on/off reserve, resourcing, discrimination)

 

As a Canadian, and as someone who actually lived in Winnipeg during her childhood, there was a lot that felt familiar in this, including issues raised that I'm not sure if a foreign reader would pick up on or not. The author (based on his Goodreads bio) does live in Winnipeg and is a member of a Cree First Nation, so this is an #ownvoices book with (to the best of my knowledge) good representation.

 

I liked how the struggles that First Nations people experience within Canadian society were included within the scope of the story, but that the focus was on the characters and their experiences. It can be hard to write good fiction that represents real-world issues without breaking character or bogging down/diverting the plot (see: preachy dystopias for one), so I thought Robertson did an excellent job of including accurate world-building in service of the story. For instance, there are medical emergencies in the scope of the story, and it's referenced a few times how help is requested but the government takes a long time to respond, ignores the pleas, or doesn't send the help needed in a timely manner. Remote communities struggle for resources and lose people to the cities where there's more opportunity, jobs etc.

 

Some Cree words are used (and translated in place), some ritual and beliefs are incorporated, but the narrative doesn't suffer at all from the exoticisation of aboriginal culture. (Though maybe American readers will feel like it's "exotic" Canadian culture?) If anything, the hockey-playing, tiny-remote-community, one-restaurant-in-town setting felt so recognizable to me that it would have been boring if not for the strong character writing and murdery-plot.

 

Cole and his friends are relatable as teenagers struggling with a variety of issues: tragic pasts, tension with childhood friendships left behind, current identity and past identity, sexual identity and relationships, trust issues with adults who're keeping secrets . . . Also, the writing of "Choch" the trickster-spirit was hilarious. That's probably what tipped this story from a good read to "when's the sequel coming out?" for me. His clowning felt instantly recognizable and, at times, laugh-out-loud hilarious. It was a great counterpoint to the dark thriller plot that could have headed into way more emo territory without him.

 

I'm totally down for reading a sequel/series about a Canadian First Nations teen with superpowers and his trickster spirit sidekick/tormenter/guide/whatever.

Quarterback Sack - Cree Storm 1.5 stars
If this story had been written by a 13 year old and posted on a fiction site, I might have rated it as 2 or 2.5 stars, but I expect much more from a book I pay for!
To begin with the amount of typos, missing words and grammatical mistakes was ridiculous. Next, on a couple of occasions, the author forgot to change the names in the copied and pasted parts and on one occasion she makes a mistake whilst changing them. Then there are those sex scenes which were 90 percent copied and pasted from somewhere else. Just run a search on each individual sentence and see for yourself. And then she gets her facts mixed up, The great flying fox, like all Old World fruit bats, lacks the ability to echo locate but compensates for it with well-developed eyesight. Further more, as a psychological fact, people who are sensitive to swearing and use of proper language and manners don't have laud sex in close proximity of other people. That kind of behavior simply requires other personality traits. And finally Ricky's ignorance of scientific facts which are common knowledge, his manner of speaking and his ultra simple vocabulary belie his supposedly high IQ.
This review has gotten too long so I skip the less obvious problems of this book.

The Bones Will Tell, A Skye Cree Novel #2 by Vickie McKeehan is the continuation of The Bones of Others. It is about a serial killer in Seattle. It is a thriller with a touch of the paranormal.

Skye Cree's love interest with Josh Ander is developing but they do have complications. I gave it four stars because it kept me entertained.

I received a complimentary kindle copy from Amazon in a promotion. That did not change my opinion for this review.

The Bones of Others, A Skye Cree Novel #1 by Vickie McKeehan is a suspense-filled thriller with touches of the paranormal.

Sky Cree has a sometimes visible wolf, Kiya, who is her spirit guide that helps her find missing teens.  She is a survivor of brutality when she was a teenager.

I gave it four stars because it kept my interest.

"The silver wolf matched her step for step as they walked together in the gloom, the wolf ever vigilant, ever watchful, ever protective.  Without Kiya to guide her, Skye doubted she would have made it this far."

I received a complimentary kindle copy from Amazon in a promotion.  That did not change my opinion for this review.

Link to purchase:  https://www.amazon.com/Bones-Others-Skye-Cree-Book-ebook/dp/B00B73XV00

I've already done  My Best of 2015 list.  But beyond my favorites there are lots of little things that stick out in the books I've read this year.  So here are my Awardies.  Awards given to total random things that stayed with me from my reading this year.

 

 

The All Along the Watchtower Award for best cover goes to...

 

  

• The cover is fab. Great color, great font, great hair and the model is giving face!

 

 

The Cougartown Award for Most WTF Book Title goes to....

 

I read the whole book, wrote an in depth review, and even looked up the etymology of the title. It refers to when the sun is shining during a rainshower. Uh huh. Still have no idea how that title relates to what is essentially a Ghost/All of Me/Topper mash-up with a helping of Jim Crow on the side.

 

 

The All My Children Award for the Most Cracked Out Soap Opera Storyline goes to...

 

• Mixed up babies, quickie divorces, BDSM PTSD, Kidnapping, Fraud, fistfights, cheating, spousal abuse and that was just the first chapter! (I kid, I kid…)

 

 

 

The Pootie Tang Award for Book with Bad Dialogue goes to....

 

 They spoke actual English, you know -- nouns and verbs. Sometimes subordinate conjunctions and objects were thrown in there too. I largely followed the story. But still the characters speaking felt odd, stilted and unnatural. 

 

 

 

The Don Draper Award  for Totally Fucked up Character I Would Still Totally Fuck goes to....

 

Zeus.  This guy has no filter, zero regular socialization, a little too ready to knife someone – friends and enemies alike. And yet, one of the most fascinating, interesting, characters I’ve read all year.

 

 

 

The Shake It Off Award for the Book That Really Took Its Title Seriously goes to....

 

Dude, if I had to hear how either Millie or High would walk through the fuckin' fire for each other one more time I swear I was gonna hurl!

 

 

 

 

The Project Runway Award for book Most In Need Of  It's a MotherFuckin' Walk OFF!  goes to....

 

OMG, the descriptions of what went on during that momentous historical night at Versaille between five American designers and five French designer NEEDS video. NEEDS! But sadly none exists only snippets. I could weep. Also early example of #blackgirlmagic!

 

 

 

The Bitch Betta Have My Money Award for the Heroine Who Was So Fierce I Could Not Even…. ! goes to….

 

Louvaen was so totally awesome. I mean she was confronted with a curse that turned a man into a ravening beast and all she did was quirk her eyebrow, rolled up her sleeves, fought killer vegetation, and saved her family and his. Basically she got shit done. And made the him fall in love with her in the process

 

 

 

The Maltese Falcon Award for the Inanimate Object With an Important Starring Role goes to....

 

That damned earring! An holy cow, the description of everybody trying to get it in that damned box at the end was a great piece of scene crafting.

 

 

 

The Theophilius Lovegood Award for Best Names goes to.....

 

The main characters are Gearoid McCardle and Aoife Boyake.  The author knew these names were special because the pronunciation guide is right in the blurb!

 

 

 

And the final award of the night, the biggie....

 

 

The Keeping it 100 for the Book With Best Synergy in Cover, Title and Story goes to....

 

 

 

 

The title, the cover art and the story all work together perfectly. 

 

The title is evocative and memorable. It isn’t one of those generic titles where you have to see the cover and/or hear the author 's name along side it to remember which book it is. Either element alone – the title or the cover - would make your mind immediately flash to the story.  It is the type of cover and title that makes you pause even if it isn’t exactly your favored genre.   And most of all, it is a story that will make you want to recommend it to other people. And read the sequels.