Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Stuldur by Ann-Helén Laestadius

56 reviews

lettuce_read's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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olderthanyou's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Happy to have the english translation. This is a story about Sámi reindeer herders in northern Sweden. as they deal with anger and prejudice from non-Sámi locals about their way of life. The story follow Elsa, her family and community. I highly recommend this novel.
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literarywreck's review against another edition

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challenging informative sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Review in Short: 

Laestadius’ prose is remarkably moving and full of luscious description that immediately draws you into Elsa’s snow-covered world. From the start, the immersive story she spins grapples with themes of identity, trauma and injustice; the unique responses of each character reveal layers of Laestadius’ social commentary.

Full Review: 

Stolen is written in simple prose that is littered with beautiful descriptions of nature and human emotion. As the majority of the book is filtered through the lens of a young protagonist, I understood the artistic decision to keep the writing fairly simple, however, I did find myself frequently longing for more of Laestadius’ stunning descriptive writing.

The beauty of Stolen lies in its thematic exploration of intergenerational trauma, systemic oppression and mental health. It took me a long time to wade through this novel because of how impactful it was; I frequently found myself needing to take breaks to process what I had just read. 

In the Myth of Sisyphus, Camus wrote that the only serious philosophical question is whether or not to commit suicide; for several of Laestadius’ characters, this is not merely a philosophical quandary, but an unavoidable reality. Stolen clearly illuminates the struggle of the Sámi people, and the harsh reality that some people (and peoples) roll heavier stones.

In one of the most moving portrayals of depression and oppression—and, of course, the inextricable relationship between the two—I’ve read, Laestadius somehow manages to make the looming threat of mental health issues feel tangible. At times, mental health—depression, anxiety, and the question of whether life is worth living—takes the reins from the poaching villain Robert, personifying the general/abstract antagonist of oppression in his stead.

It’s not hard to see why Stolen is a best-seller: it tells a story that needs to be told, and it does so remarkably well. Get ready to have your heart broken, but in all the best ways.





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carinaantonia's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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bookishcori's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

Yep, it’s good. Worth the wait for it to release in the US. 

Read the synopsis if you want to know what it’s about 😅. I was gripped from the beginning and it kept a tiny piece of my heart. 

As I’ve read a couple other books by Sámi authors recently, the community and culture wasn’t entirely new [if it is to you, that’s okay, be prepared to google at times]. As with so many Indigenous peoples, their culture has been suppressed and subjected to colonization & xenophobia - this book is a small piece of reclaiming that heritage while also shining a light on the ways racism & climate destruction continue to threaten their community. 
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ruffian23's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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jessiiiru's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Eine tolle Geschichte, die mich in ihren Bann gezogen und mir eine Seite von Schweden gezeigt hat, die mir so vorher nicht bewusst war. 
Es wird sehr gut gezeigt, warum Menschen hassen, wie Hass vererbt wird und wie dieser Hass eine Gesellschaft spalten kann.
Einzig das Ende empfinde ich als relativ schwach, weshalb ich keine fünf Sterne vergeben konnte.
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gurofl's review against another edition

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emotional informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Fantastic book!
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evelina96's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 I really liked this book, the setting felt very realistic and I loved the themes of the book as well as the language. It made an impact on me. I rarely read a book that takes place in the northern part of Sweden where I live. I also liked that it was up to the reader to infer what happened, and that I had to read between the lines to get the full reading experience. 
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pernilla's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced
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