Reviews with content warning for Torture - Der Gott am Ende der Straße

I tried to like this book, I really did. I like the idea, conceptually, but the execution felt off somehow. There were so many elements and characters that didn’t feel connected, and the world as a whole felt empty.

There is no real explanation behind the de-evolution that takes place, or the existence of the “Mother” character. Cedar is not a scientist, and the situation is very apocalyptic, so i don’t expect much, but it felt weird to me that there was minimal reaction other than fear about what’s happening to the women.

Cedar as a character feels unrealistic, though that may be because of the lack of world building. The writing style was also a little flowery for my taste, but that is definitely just a matter of opinion. This book has been on my tbr for a while; I’m disappointed this is how it turned out. I should just read the Handmaid’s Tale instead.

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atreegrowsinbooks's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

What a strange dystopian thriller by Erdrich. Very different than the other books I’ve read by her.

There were so many twists that I didn’t see coming and I was pleasantly surprised that I wasn’t able to guess everything that was happening. The character work and storytelling is so successful, and it’s clear that Erdrich can truly write anything.

While I really enjoyed the writing, the content of this story was unsettling. Especially when women’s rights have been further taken away. In some aspects, the story isn’t that far off from what could happen.

I haven’t read A Handmaid’s Tale, but I’ve seen the show and this book is definitely similar to that. This is an indigenous version that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a dystopian thriller with links to the real world as we know it.

Fun fact, I picked this book up because the first page starts on my birthday

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kutreen's review against another edition

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dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

What a heartbreakingly beautiful book. My favorite in a long time. This book contained meditations on, and prompted some deep reflections of, the origin and future of life, humanity, family, religion, community, and reproductive rights. I loved the narrator and the premise that she (minor spoiler)

is writing to her future child.

I so appreciated getting to spend some time in her and Erdirch's mind. I appreciate learning a bit more about indigenous communities in the US through her novels as well.

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sparklefarm's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

WHOOF. Not sure what convinced me, a melancholic woman living in Texas in these times, to read an all-too-believable near-future dystopian novel dealing with reproductive justice, other than the fact that it's written by Louise Erdrich. Ultimately, she once again did. not. miss. with this book. I could have picked a better time to read it though. 😆 That being said, I don't know that I've ever read a book this dystopian and this full of wonder, possibility, and hope. In our current landscape as in a chaotic, terrifying, possible future, we can hold both.

Ending -

I appreciated that we did not end in a happy smiley way (it seemed at some points that it could!) as that would feel disingenuous to the story. And yet to leave Cedar at her most vulnerable, most alone, and least likely to escape, was the most gut-wrenching way to end.

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