Wow, just wow! This book was so creepy. The descriptions of the ghost haunting Kari, as well as, the monster lurking close behind had my hairs rising. I found having an Indigenous folkloric monster attacking Kari was interesting, especially how this monster comes to be. The story is rooted in generational trauma and the circle of pain that endures from it to this very day. But it is also a book about healing and trying to break a cycle of injustice and systemic violence. Kari is trying to heal, to relearn the story of her mother, of her people, while also moving forward into a future she wants. At times haunting, at times infuriating, this book was well paced and pushed forward one vision and one memory at a time. While Kari learns about her mother she feels the presence of evil. Her mother fought for her rights, for the rights of the daughter she was carrying into this world, only to be stripped of her life. This is a book about the pervasive evil of Governments and religions stripping a culture of their right to exist. But, the tragedy of her mother is slowly mended by Kari confronting the truth and then seeking justice and the right to her own dreams. I especially enjoyed when Kari was able to use her own history, her culture, her familial bonds, and her love of Stephen King to enact vengeance, to right wrongs, to save herself and those she loves (even while the monster tries to use those same things against her). It was interesting how Kari's search for meaning in her Mother's disappearance coincided with the real world marriage issues between her cousin Debby and Debby's controlling husband, Jack. Debby works to make herself small, contained to Jack's demands of her as a wife and a mother. So, while Kari searches for the truth about her mother, she tries to prevent the same outcome for her closest friend. I did find this connection powerful and that it helped with developing Kari's character, but at times it dragged away from the actual ghost story and felt like a completely different novel. In a way, it shows Kari's ability to fight many battles, and also her naivete and misunderstanding of her relationships and her own manipulations and misuse of Debby. But again, there was just so much going on between both that it stole the attention away from the other narrative that should have been the main focus. I really loved the bar the White Horse. A character in itself, the bar and owner play sanctuary to Kari. It is at the bar she is able to think freely, to truly feel herself. She questions her past, what it means to be an Urban Indian. She reflects on her ancestors, on the journey she must go through, but also feels comfort from the power of her familial past. The White Horse is a staple of her heritage and roots her to her home. It is significant to her personality and the one place she vows to see saved from the gentrification happening all around their neighbourhood. She has already lost so much, she needs this one safe haven to remain.
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