The Round House by Louise Erdrich

A young man is upended after a violent attack on his mother, which leaves his family in turmoil. Well-written page turner that is hard to put down!

Some might describe this book as a coming-of-age novel, but it is so much more. It's about something horrific that happens, a mystery, growing pains, tribal lore. Really spectacular writing with a heart wrenching plot.

I did not find this book as riveting as most reviewers, but loved, loved the characters so much, especially the small family at the center. This is my first Erdrich, and I was so pleased to find that the characters are present in her other stories.

The Round House is an unflinching look at trauma and it's effect on family and community. I loved the way Erdrich used a first-person adult narrator recounting events that happened in his youth. I found that it brought another level of reflection to an already mature character. Most of this novel was a gut punch, but it's had moments of hilarity and joy that you could truly feel. I loved the way that memory and storytelling from elders was woven into the narrative - if you know me, I'm a SUCKER for when that device is used and used extremely well, much like in this story.
I really enjoyed this novel and I can't wait to read her other works!
Please read the CW before starting this novel. There isn't too much graphic content, but it could be triggering for some. Also, there aren't any quotation marks denoting conversations or lines of dialogue, so that may took a few pages to get used to.

This was my first Erdrich book, and it was an interesting read. I almost put it down fairly quickly, because the entire book follows from a violent attack on a woman, and almost all of the central characters are men/boys. However, I think this is an example of how fiction can expose some serious societal problems, without being pedantic about the problems.

It's also about how men and boys deal with violence against the women in their lives, which is something worth reading and thinking about.

The book is an odd mix of a thriller (of a sort) and a deep dive into the emotions that come from violence. I think it works, but I never forgot that I was reading a book, because of the jarring mix of thriller genre tropes and a serious look at violence.

Plusses:
+ First Nations main characters, written by a woman of Native descent.
+ Great relationship stuff between father and son, against a lot of traditional masculinity.
+ quite good as a thriller for the most part
+ Star Trek: The Next Generation references throughout (it works, don't worry!)
+ Some great is-it-real-or-a-ghost-or-a-dream sequences

Minuses:
- we don't get enough of the mom character, or any of the female characters. I am certain this is a conscious choice on Erdrich's part. It's just a choice I don't like.
- a couple of Very Amazing Coincidences to drive the plot forward. These can be fun, or they can be distracting. For me they were distracting.
- the violence is mostly left to the side, undescribed, which works well

Plusses: