This was such a powerful novel about familial bonds, but specifically between women and femmes. It highlighted the power of kinship to break past horrors and sooth a tarnished spirit. Mackenzie was by herself in B.C., with only a small support group, when what she really needed was her larger community. She became vulnerable to a being that feeds on sorrow and pain, that gains its strength from loneliness and isolation. The book also talks about the destruction and poverty left behind in rural Alberta after the oil boom. Not just how the companies offered tons of money to destroy the land, but how that greed brought with it creatures that feed on avarice. However, when the oil dried up and the companies left, they left starving creatures looking for fresh food. The novel therefore focuses on the environmental and emotional impact that big business (specifically the oil industry) has on those who lived on the land before and those who are left with what remains after. Truly horrifying. Grief becomes this creatures new source of sustenance as it evolves in desperation and hunger. As Mackenzie says, the Cree cannot even hold their looses and mourn without being impacted by the Government, by greed, by theft. The Cree have become fodder, while simply trying to cry for those they have loved and lost. So, not only is the story terrifying and the creature something out of a nightmare (literally), it is also so terribly tragic that this community bears the burden of a monster created by white greed. But, these strong women/femme continue to support and fight for each other. It is by flying home that Mackenzie is able to confront her pain at the loss of her grandmother and sister. She quite literally has to fight against a monster feeding on her anguish. Her sister and cousin become her lifeline, her protection, her circle of strength. Together they provide comfort for each other, while trying to find a way to kill a mythical being. Quick, well written, and keeps you interested. Highly recommend!
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