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Son of a Trickster
336 pages
A gritty, tender coming-of-age story where everyday teen survival collides with chaotic family dynamics and surreal Indigenous mythology.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like navigating a chaotic, gritty reality that is constantly being punctured by the surreal. It balances the harsh, everyday struggles of a compassionate teen trying to hold his deeply dysfunctional family together with the uncanny intrusion of Indigenous mythology, talking ravens, and cannibalistic river otters. The prose is striking and precise, grounding the reader in the protagonist's tender heart even as he deals with blackouts, a terrifying mother, and the grief of losing his only source of unconditional love. It moves at a brisk pace, blending wry humor with genuine emotional weight. This is a perfect read for those who love contemporary fantasy that feels deeply rooted in messy, authentic human relationships and mythological wonder.
- Mood
- surreal
- chaotic
- tender
- uncanny
- Tone
- compassionate
- gritty
- wry
- striking
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- coming-of-age · dysfunctional family dynamics · Indigenous mythology · teen survival · compassion amidst chaos
- The writing
- Striking and precise, balancing gritty everyday teen realities with uncanny, mythological intrusions.
- The arc
- A compassionate teen navigates the chaotic intersection of a deeply dysfunctional family life and surreal, emerging mythological realities to find his own grounding.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love gritty, tender coming-of-age stories where contemporary dysfunction collides with surreal Indigenous mythology.
Content notes
- underage drinking and smoking
- drug dealing
- animal death
- blackouts
- dysfunctional family dynamics
About the book
CANADA READS 2020 FINALIST NATIONAL BESTSELLER
More than ten years after her Giller-shortlisted title Monkey Beach, Eden Robinson returns with a striking and precise coming-of-age novel, in which everyday teen existence meets Indigenous beliefs, crazy family dynamics and cannibalistic river otters.
Meet Jared Martin: sixteen-year-old pot cookie dealer, smoker, drinker and son with the scariest mom ever. But Jared's the pot dealer with a heart of gold--really. Compassionate, caring, and nurturing by nature, Jared's determined to help hold his family together--whether that means supporting his dad's new family with the proceeds from his baking or caring for his elderly neighbours. But when it comes to being cared and loved, Jared knows he can't rely on his family. His only source of love and support was his flatulent pit bull Baby, but she's dead. And then there's the talking ravens and the black outs and his grandmother's perpetual suspicion that he is not human, but the son of a trickster.
Description from Open Library.
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