Son of a Trickster
Books | Fiction / Indigenous
3.6
(373)
Eden Robinson
CANADA READS 2020 FINALISTNATIONAL BESTSELLERMore than ten years after her Giller-shortlisted title Monkey Beach, Eden Robinson returns with a striking and precise coming-of-age novel, in which everyday teen existence meets Indigenous beliefs, crazy family dynamics and cannibalistic river otters.Meet Jared Martin: sixteen-year-old pot cookie dealer, smoker, drinker and son with the scariest mom ever. But Jared's the pot dealer with a heart of gold--really. Compassionate, caring, and nurturing by nature, Jared's determined to help hold his family together--whether that means supporting his dad's new family with the proceeds from his baking or caring for his elderly neighbours. But when it comes to being cared and loved, Jared knows he can't rely on his family. His only source of love and support was his flatulent pit bull Baby, but she's dead. And then there's the talking ravens and the black outs and his grandmother's perpetual suspicion that he is not human, but the son of a trickster.
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Author
Eden Robinson
Pages
336
Publisher
National Geographic Books
Published Date
2018-03-13
ISBN
0345810791 9780345810793
Community ReviewsSee all
"This was…awful. Bizarre. Bleak. Hard to follow without some level of cultural competency that I just don’t have. I laughed twice and it took until page TWO HUNDRED for the promised supernatural type stuff to happen. I’d been led to believe this was an Indigenous spec fic type book but it’s basically just a drug and alcohol laden unrelatable teen angst-fest with a bit of myth come to life thrown in. Except without explaining the myth and just referencing stuff that I don’t know anything about. I laughed twice and at least Jared isn’t totally unlikeable, just totally unrelatable unless you too grew up in grinding poverty and drug culture. Perhaps this is the “relatable teen coming of age” promised on the back to me but I’m not the person to relate to this. <br/>Also, don’t give this book to your children, almost literally every single page has swearing or drugs or alcohol or sex on it. Often more than once. This is decidedly an 18+ book.<br/>I really really wanted this to be the promised uplifting book that would be about indigenous people without being actively focused on indigenous PROBLEMS. I’m still looking."
T P
Teresa Prokopanko
"The story is interesting, but the characters are terribly unlike able and constantly talking in stupid texting lingo that adults seem to think all teenagers use. It's ridiculous."
Billie Cuumm
"Loved this trilogy! "
Lindsey
"A wonderful, contemporary story that brings traditional Haisla stories and ghost tales into the present struggles that Indigenous teens gave everyday to remind readers of all ethnicities that Indigenous people are resilient and very much still here. "
Kiana Pennington
"More of like than dislike. Took awhile to get into. Humor has its moments. "
Kim Doucet
"Wow, I loved this book. Magical realism, sharp snappy dialogue, characters with real attitude, flaws and heart, dialogues via text messages, rural BC and plenty of drugs and alcohol. Jared, a teenage boy, into weed and alcohol, poor, with not many friends, is actually quite a warm and likeable character despite having a pit bull mom with a mouth to match (she is awesome) and a rotating collection of criminal/drug dealing "dads" who like to party. Then on top of this it gets weird and wonderful."
John Woakes
