Eden Robinson

Shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize: With striking originality and precision, Eden Robinson, the author of the classic Monkey Beach and winner of the Writers' Trust of Canada Fellowship, blends humour with heartbreak in this compelling coming-of-age novel. Everyday teen existence meets indigenous beliefs, crazy family dynamics, and cannibalistic river otters . . . The exciting first novel in her trickster trilogy. Everyone knows a guy like Jared: the burnout kid in high school who sells weed cookies and has a scary mom who's often wasted and wielding some kind of weapon. Jared does smoke and drink too much, and he does make the best cookies in town, and his mom is a mess, but he's also a kid who has an immense capacity for compassion and an impulse to watch over people more than twice his age, and he can't rely on anyone for consistent love and support, except for his flatulent pit bull, Baby Killer (he calls her Baby)--and now she's dead. Jared can't count on his mom to stay sober and stick around to take care of him. He can't rely on his dad to pay the bills and support his new wife and step-daughter. Jared is only sixteen but feels like he is the one who must stabilize his family's life, even look out for his elderly neighbours. But he struggles to keep everything afloat...and sometimes he blacks out. And he puzzles over why his maternal grandmother has never liked him, why she says he's the son of a trickster, that he isn't human. Mind you, ravens speak to him--even when he's not stoned. You think you know Jared, but you don't.

Son of a Trickster

Everyone knows a guy like Jared: the burnout kid in high school who sells weed cookies and has a scary mom who's often wasted and wielding some kind of weapon. Jared does smoke and drink too much, and he does make the best cookies in town, and his mom is a mess, but he's also a kid who has an immense capacity for compassion and an impulse to watch over people more than twice his age, and he can't rely on anyone for consistent love and support, except for his flatulent pit bull, Baby Killer (he calls her Baby)--and now she's dead. Jared can't count on his mom to stay sober and stick around to take care of him. He can't rely on his dad to pay the bills and support his new wife and step-daughter. Jared is only sixteen but feels like he is the one who must stabilize his family's life, even look out for his elderly neighbours. But he struggles to keep everything afloat... and sometimes he blacks out. And he puzzles over why his maternal grandmother has never liked him, why she says he's the son of a trickster, that he isn't human. Mind you, ravens speak to him--even when he's not stoned. You think you know Jared, but you don't.

This book was full of dark magic and even darker humour. I was rooting for the main character the whole time. I’m looking forward to reading the next one!

Keira

Jordan

The story is interesting, but the characters are terribly unlike able and constantly talking in stupid texting lingo that adults seem to think all teenagers use. It's ridiculous.

Shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize: With striking originality and precision, Eden Robinson, the author of the classic Monkey Beach and winner of the Writers’ Trust of Canada Fellowship, blends humour with heartbreak in this compelling coming-of-age novel. Everyday teen existence meets indigenous beliefs, crazy family dynamics, and cannibalistic river otters . . . The exciting first novel in her trickster trilogy. Everyone knows a guy like Jared: the burnout kid in high school who sells weed cookies and has a scary mom who's often wasted and wielding some kind of weapon. Jared does smoke and drink too much, and he does make the best cookies in town, and his mom is a mess, but he's also a kid who has an immense capacity for compassion and an impulse to watch over people more than twice his age, and he can't rely on anyone for consistent love and support, except for his flatulent pit bull, Baby Killer (he calls her Baby)--and now she's dead. Jared can't count on his mom to stay sober and stick around to take care of him. He can't rely on his dad to pay the bills and support his new wife and step-daughter. Jared is only sixteen but feels like he is the one who must stabilize his family's life, even look out for his elderly neighbours. But he struggles to keep everything afloat...and sometimes he blacks out. And he puzzles over why his maternal grandmother has never liked him, why she says he's the son of a trickster, that he isn't human. Mind you, ravens speak to him--even when he's not stoned. You think you know Jared, but you don't.

Colleen

3 Stars

*A great premise with too slow of a buildup and a lot of nihilism*


I came across Son of a Trickster on Bookstagram and then heard that it was being turned into a TV show. Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I love mythology and folklore, so a story incorporating First Nation culture and lore was a must read. I was excited to read a coming of age story about a boy trying to do the best he can in a difficult life and dealing with the possibility that he was the son of a mythological Trickster.


  ”With all the power of technology and science in the world, I would bet you dollars to doughnuts that you still trust a human face to be a human. But come closer and let me speak to the creatures that swim in your ancient oceans, the old ones that sing to you in your dreams. Encoded memories so frayed you think they're extinct, but they wait, coiled and unblinking, in your blood and in your bones.”

There were two major issues I had with Son of a Trickster. The first was that all that mythological stuff was barely present in the book. Other than a couple of teasers, the supernatural elements didn’t deign to enter the story until literally three-quarters of the way through the book! Things got much interesting after that, but I dearly wish the buildup hadn’t taken so long. And after all that waiting, the ending felt abrupt and unsatisfying. Clearly it was meant to lead up to the sequel. But it definitely ended right when things got good.

The second issue was how bleak the story was. The synopsis made it clear that Jared had a difficult life, but I still was not expecting that intense level of nihilism. And before I go any farther, content warnings for this book should include profanity, explicit sexual scenes, alcoholism, drug addiction, child neglect, domestic violence, self-harm, and suicide attempt. There were other things as well, but those are the heavy hitters. The alcohol and drug use were particularly omnipresent. It is not an exaggeration to say that there is hardly a scene in the entire book without at least one character drunk and/or high or feeling the aftereffects thereof. It was constant and suffocating. 

I’m also surprised that this is a YA book. I don’t get involved with all the censorship, Angry Mom Mobs, and people who think YA books should be entirely PG. But damn, this book did not pull any punches with the heavy topics and graphic content. There is no doubt I would have hated this book if I had read it as a teenager. And I do mean hated it with a passion. I had zero tolerance of pessimistic books in my younger years. This would be better off labeled as New Adult due to the large focus on graphic content.

Despite the story being an almost unceasing buffet of depression, there was no denying that Robinson can write. If this book had been written by a less engaging author, I would have easily abandoned it. But Jared was a compelling character, and I was surprisingly engaged throughout the story. Even though I did wonder almost constantly when the mythological bits would finally show up. There were also issues with the timeline jumping around a lot in the beginning of the story – which made it hard to know what (and when) things were happening. Nevertheless, the story kept me turning the pages.

I’m conflicted about finishing the rest of the series. On the one hand, I have hopes that the mythology elements will be stronger in the sequels. On the other hand, I expect the rest of the series will still have a heavy focus on the nihilistic aspects of Jared’s everyday life. I am curious though, so I probably will check out the next book at some point.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 2 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars

MacKenzie Hamon

The. Best. Book. Of. The. Year. No contest. Hilarious, heartbreaking, magical. Eden Robinson deserves every accolade and then some.

Maggie Gordon

Eden Robinson is a literary goddess. Son of a Trickster, her latest, is a fantastic novel and a worthy successor to the absolutely stunning Monkey Beach. Go read both books. Now. Seriously. They are beautiful and devastating and brilliant. 

But you probably want to know why Son of a Trickster is awesome, don't you? It's a story about an Indigenous kid growing up in Northern BC. Much like Monkey Beach, the narrative bounces around. We get a little bit from when Jared was wee, and bits and pieces as he grows. Most of the narrative settles on his teenage years as he tries to get through the world while his life is in chaos. His parents have divorced and his mom refuses to let Jared have anything to do with his father. But Jared, who has a truly kind heart, is helping his dad pay rent even though he knows he's getting used. His mother loves him, but has a host of problems as well. She's heavy into drugs, and she is quick to anger over a variety of things she sees as betrayals. Jared is a heavy drinker and drug user, and his attempts at drug dealing lead to many unfortunate consequences in his life. 

Yet despite all the horrible things going on in his life, he remains such a wonderful human being. He helps out his elderly neighbours, befriends and protects the local geeky kid, and seems not to have a mean bone in his body. Most of the story is just the tale of Jared, his trials and the way that he faces things in a quiet, though ultimately brave manner. 

And then there's the magic realism part of the story. In Monkey Beach, the protagonist saw strange beings and seemed to have prophetic dreams. Jared is gifted with supernatural gifts as well. Magic runs in his mother's family, something he does not discover until his high school years when he begins seeing ghosts. 

The magic part of the book ramps up at the end, and there are some important revelations that will be discussed further in the next two books of the series. This first volume, however, was a beautiful way to emotionally ground the story, introducing readers to Jared, his world, and hints of magic. Though the story starts quite small, it seems that it will grow larger in the next books.

Robinson shows a different side of Indigenity in Son of a Trickster than in Monkey Beach. Though she touches on substance abuse and poverty again, this is a different sort of family. Jared is less connected (for now) with the cultures and traditions of his people, and he is hurt by this absence (quite literally at the end of the book when he finds himself unable to deal with the spirits that he didn't even realise were real until right then). 

The prose is also magnificent. Robinson's writing is so fluid and emotive, yet concise and forward. This is not language meant to baffle or challenge for the sake of it. Her writing is accessible, illuminating complex ideas and experiences in such a way that makes them both powerful, but understandable. Her work is humanising. She creates characters with incredible flaws, but who are also filled with love. Son of a Trickster is a devastating book, but the core of the novel is filled with hope. Hope, love, and compassion. 

Seriously, go read it!

Anna Campbell

** spoiler alert **
           Very interesting book! I really wish it had explored the magic more, and Jared had got past hating it and not believing in it. And the ending wasn’t very satisfying. But I liked the rest.

Maggie

Probably more like a 3.5. I really enjoyed it but it was a lot of setup for the series at the start. When it got more into the magic and the lore in the second half I found it much better. I read the second book a few years ago and I LOVED it. I am very excited to re-read it with more context! This is a really interesting, fun, and unique series!

Son of a Trickster

Reviews