Bizarre, brutal, and thought-provoking

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I’m having trouble forming thoughts about this book because 1. It was not at all what I was expecting and 2. I’m still asking myself “WTF did I just read?” Some of my favorite books of all time fit these criteria so my feelings after finishing this book aren’t negative; they’re just very complex. The story follows the events that occur ten years after four Native American men illegally gun down a large herd of elk. As a consequence of their actions, they are each stalked and hunted down by an unknown entity. There is plenty of suspense and lots of gore that often sneaks up on you when you least expect it. At a few points in the book, I was in such shock that I had to stop and ask myself “wait did that really just happen?!” However, between the moments of action, the book can be somewhat boring. I found the prose rambling and hard to follow so I had to go back and re-read sections to try to figure out what happened. There were also lengthy descriptions of things I didn’t care much about; for example, towards the end of the book, there is a very detailed one-one-one game of basketball that seemed to go on and on. It occurred when the tension should have been high as the climax was nearing but I felt so bored that it took away from what should have been a menacing scene. The book was quite a roller coaster ride and because of the down moments, I was planning on rating it three stars; the five-star ending changed that for me. I never really connected with the characters but the ending left me in tears. It was crafted and executed perfectly and evoked many thoughts and feelings. On the surface, this is just another horror story but if you look deeper, you will find yourself reflecting on topics such as the will to survive and protect, gun violence, the destruction of nature, and the horrific treatment of indigenous peoples that continues to affect the lives of many today. While I didn’t particularly enjoy reading this book, I love it for bringing me out of my comfort zone.