Capture Give Me Some Truth Authored By Eric Gansworth PDF
I was unable to enjoy this book as much as others,
I had to force myself to finish reading it, and I feel bad for even admitting that.
Its not that the writing was bad or even the plot its just that I couldn't seem to connect with the characters enough to even want to keep reading chapter after chapter.
Maybe I will try again at a later date, DNF about halfway, but not because it was bad! It just wasn't interesting "Slice of life" bildungsromans are just really not my thing, and while the characters were interesting, it was not really exciting.
I picked this up after hearing Gansworth speak on a panel about toxic masculinity, and I really wanted to love it.
This belongs in the "great book but just not my genre" pile, Carson Mastick is entering his senior year of high school and desperate to make his mark, on the reservation and off.
A rock band and winning the local Battle of the Bands, with its first prize of a trip to New York City is his best shot.
But things keep getting in the way, Small matters like the lack of an actual band, or the fact that his brother just got shot confronting the racist owner of a local restaurant.
Maggi Bokoni has just moved back to the reservation from the city with her family, She's dying to stop making the same traditional artwork her family sells to tourists conceptual stuff is cooler, stop feeling out of place in her new old home, and stop being treated like a child.
She might like to fall in love for the first time too,
Carson and Maggi along with their friend Lewis will navigate loud protests, even louder music, and first love in this novel about coming together in a world defined by difference.
diverse teen fiction Indians living on a reservation near USCanada border, Niagara Falls
Carson is abouta high school senior and Maggi isCarson's story revolves around getting a band together to compete for a prize trip to NY his ticket off the Rez and Maggi's story revolves around her "romance" with asomething jerkwad he's not as bad as some of them, but he's not great either and her eventual realization that she wants more out of her relationship.
Beatles' fandom since this takes place in the lates postbreakup winds throughout,
Note: this isn't a "clean" readthey don't end up going as far as Jim would like, but everything else is described in thankfully sparse detail.
There are also some scenes with alcoholism and abusive parents,.stars.
I wanted to like this book, but the only thing I liked about it was how wellresearched the native rep and reservation life appeared to be.
This takes place in, but I spent the firstpages thinking it was
modern day, There was no indication of the time period save John Lennon still being alive and East Germany still being a thing.
There also appeared to be very little actual plot, and no moral to the story that I could discern.
Most of the story revolved around ayearolds creepy romantic relationship with ayearOld, Its not portrayed romantically and its obvious from the first that shes not going to end up with him, but it takes up SO MUCH of the story, and was slightly painful to read about, and doesnt serve the rest of the story at all.
This book was a little slow to grab me, but I definitely became very invested in these characters.
There's such a mix of stakes at play herewill these teens win their battle of the bands Will Maggi have sex for the first time with a shady older guy will white people honor native treaties and respect native culture And yet every level of conflict is ultimately so compelling.
This is such a good example of a YA historical fiction being grounded in a specific time and placethis isn't just set inbecause the author grew up then and didn't want to deal with cell phones, it's set inbecause of the political amp pop culture context of specifically John Lennon's life and death, and Yoko Ono's life.
A great read, particularly for teens who are interested in music and/or social justice, The two best things about GIVE ME SOME TRUTH are the setting and the music, I very much liked Gansworth's first book that grew from this's Indian reservation, IF I EVER GET OUT OF HERE.
This one truly puts the reader there, showing both the grimness and the beauty of the community, Also most of the kids in TRUTH are exactly my age, their senior year was my senior year.
And even growing up in a very different community half a county away, I recognized this time, Not just through the excellent playlist, but in the attitudes of racism and sexism,
This book did some things better and truer than most books speaking of "important" issues, Both Carson and Maggi felt like their respective ages, Not some overly selfaware versions of teens, spouting clever observations, that tend to populate the recent glut of "important" YA fiction.
Something I've been sensitive to in this age of metoo and Own Voices is how period kids are suddenly spouting twentyfirst century battle cries.
Carson's selfabsorption was both annoying and lovable,
Most of the way through I expected to give this five, It is very worth reading, Even if logic jumps a bit at times and it gets a bit unruly and drugout by trying to cram too much in.
This YA comingofage novel discusses what it's like growing up as a Native teenager, immersed both in the world of the rez and settler society what makes this book special is that Gansworth, who works as a visual artist as well, also merges storytelling with music without needing a single note to do so.
Set inand named after a song by John Lennon sitelink youtube. com/watchvUaiGA , the book tells the story of high school senior Carson Mastick who dreams of winning the Battle of Bands and get off the Tuscarora Nation Reservation.
To give his band a special sound, he recruitsyearold Magpie Bokoni, a traditional drummer who just moved back to the rez with her family.
Told in alternating chapters, the story slowly reveals multiple challenges Carson and Maggi face while preparing for their most important gig: There's a racist store owner who shoots Carson's brother, the artistic business of Maggi's family that depends on tourists buying their beadwork, Maggi's twisted relationship with a much older white man and much more.
Unfortunately, the book didn't manage to fully hold my attention, and I think there are mainly two reasons for this:.
Joshua Whitehead ruined me for all indigenous comingofage novels, because sitelinkJonny Appleseed is perfection he intended to write it as YA, but it was ultimately released as general literary fiction, probably because of its explicit sexual content and complex structure.
This is higly accessible writing for a young audience, and I'm a literary snob which is not Gansworth's fault or problem.
I have to admit that I skipped large parts in the middle, because the writing didn't seem dense enough to me, but again: I am not the target audience.
And this is why I am happy that there are books like this one, that discuss important issues in a way that teenagers can understand them noyearold would want to read sitelinkHouse Made of Dawn, but in many respects, Gansworth touches upon the same issues.
The way he remixes the Beatles, John Lennon and Yoko Ono in this book give it a special edge, and the novel exudes love for music and artistic crafts.
So if you are into YA and pop culture, this is certainly a worthwhile read, .