Name: Celeste Richardson's review of Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Item: Winter Counts
Rating: 3
Author: Celeste Richardson

David Heska Wanbli Weiden

An addictive and groundbreaking debut thriller set on a Native American reservation Virgil Wounded Horse is the local enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When justice is denied by the American legal system or the tribal council, Virgil is hired to deliver his own punishment, the kind that's hard to forget. But when heroin makes its way into the reservation and finds Virgil's own nephew, his vigilantism suddenly becomes personal. He enlists the help of his ex-girlfriend and sets out to learn where the drugs are coming from, and how to make them stop. They follow a lead to Denver and find that drug cartels are rapidly expanding and forming new and terrifying alliances. And back on the reservation, a new tribal council initiative raises uncomfortable questions about money and power. As Virgil starts to link the pieces together, he must face his own demons and reclaim his Native identity. He realizes that being a Native American in the twenty-first century comes at an incredible cost. Winter Counts is a tour-de-force of crime fiction, a bracingly honest look at a long-ignored part of American life, and a twisting, turning story that's as deeply rendered as it is thrilling.

Winter Counts

Celeste Richardson

Perfectly fine. Loved the setting, as my husband’s great-grandmother grew up on the Rosebud Reservation, and I very much enjoyed getting a peak into what Rez life is like in the present. The elements of the story that most involved the Rez felt unique and original. But the characters fell flat for me, and the mystery/thriller elements felt stale and a bit unoriginal. I was way more interested in the fight to improve nutrition on the Rez than I was in the central crime plot. The writing was good but a bit utilitarian. However, it’s a fun story with enough of a different spin to it that I feel readers who prefer the mystery genre above all others will find it refreshingly different. I just wish the book was longer and had given Virgil’s story more time to deepen.

Jackelyn

I suspect I will be processing this book for the next few days. This story hits hard, a young uncle (Virgil) caring for his nephew (Nathan) after the death of his sister finds himself as the protector of those who need it most but can't get it. Virgil is a morally gray character with a desire to see justice done no matter what. When Nathan finds himself in the middle of a drug cartels expansion Virgil is challenged to decide what justice will be found. The characters and twists of this story will have you hooked until the last page. I never saw the ending coming.

CONTENT WARNINGS: drug use, suicide, overdose, alcohol abuse, physical and sexual assault, emotional and verbal abuse, murder and details of deaths.

Suz Corso

This story was interesting and unlike anything I've read before, but I just did not vibe with the writing style. It was somewhat of a difficult read just because I didn't love author's style, but the story kept me wanting to finish it.

KADY BURNS

I picked this up because I live in South Dakota and wanted to read about stuff close to home. It hooked in me from the start and I couldn't put it down.

Alexis Aumagamanaia

Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden is an explosive novel about vigilante justice, indigenous food sovereignty, addiction, and the love of a family. We follow Virgil Wounded Horse on a journey to uncover the truth behind an influx of drug use on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota in an attempt to find answers in regards to his own nephew’s downfall. This novel dissects everything from traditions to corrupt tribal governments and is an absolute must read!

Annalee Harris

Virgil Wounded Horse does things differently at the Rosebud Reservation. Someone beats his wife? Virgil breaks his hands. A teacher touches kids? Virgil snaps his legs. He's the local "enforcer", and it's the way he's always done things. That is until his nephew, Nathan, gets caught up in a messy drug conspiracy that threatens to derail not just Virgil's life, but the rez's life as they know it.

Winter Counts is a slow-paced but engrossing tale about family, pain, and the Lakota way. Weiden beautifully draws from his experience growing up and weaves a haunting and unforgettable story that challenges the American way of life. With believable, three-dimensional characters that will frustrate, entertain, and astonish you and insights into sacred Lakota ceremonies that express what a beautiful culture Weiden comes from, this novel is one you don't want to miss.

Natalie Sypeck 

I honestly thought I would give this to 2 stars or 2 1/2 stars for the majority of the book because I wasn’t over invested in the drug investigation (guess it’s not my thing) and I thought the writing was a bit high school creative class writing project level. This was the first book by an indigenous author I’ve read so I’m not familiar with their writing style, could just take some getting used to. I did like the last few chapters when everything was coming together, not overly predictable, though I did predict a couple parts of the ending. I listened to the Audiobook and wasn’t a huge fan of the narrator so that may have affected my reading experience.

Jessica Williamson

3.75 Stars

This one did start off a little slow for my liking but I did really end up enjoying it. 

As a white-ass white girl, I've got no real place talking about the rep in this book. But as the author is a member of the represented culture and community, it's pretty safe to say the rep was done well. Not to mention his education levels and the number of awards this book either won or was nominated for.

This story (and the ending author's note) was a look into things going on in our country that people like me have the privilege of never really thinking about. And I don't want to say I "love" this viewpoint because that sounds so stupid. But I appreciate the publishing industry is starting to be kinder to these wider viewpoints (though they could definitely still do better) so that I can learn about cultures and societal issues outside of what I'm familiar with. 

This was an absolutely FANTASTIC debut. Even though the beginning was slow for me, once I was hooked, I was in and I didn't want the story to end.

And in a surprise to absolutely no one, the epilogue made me cry. You know, happy tears. 

Virgil really went on a journey through this book, and I'm glad I was able to go with him. 

cover 2; characters 5; plot 3; pace 3; writing 4; enjoyment 4; Cry *

Jill Swan

Best book I’ve read in a few weeks. So well crafted!

Sam Pulliam

This book follows Virgil, a vigilante Lakota who takes care of injustices on the Rosebud reservation because the US legal system won't handle it. When his nephew is caught up with drugs, Virgil has even more of a reason to find justice and figure out who is bringing drugs into the community.
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This book kept my attention the entire time and I couldn't put it down. I even got the audiobook so I could keep listening on my walks. I appreciated the social commentary surrounding justice, indigenous culture, and doing what's best for the community. This is so much more than a mystery book.

Ruby Huber

Excellent. Truly Excellent. The pace of this was just right, the story had room to breathe. Instead of cramming all the plot points together so you get a fast and steep rising action the tense stuff was spread out with some other side plots so that by the time things actually started HAPPENING my heart was actually pounding in my chest and I had to do some deep breathing. This book is set mostly on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota and the picture of rez life painted felt full and varied to me, and the character arcs and the fulfilling side plots, this was great. A tale of pain and loss and fear and also getting back up. DM me for trigger warnings there was a bit of violence here that could definitely be upsetting!

Lauren Lopez

4.5*
This is a solid debut novel, and I really, really enjoyed it. I listened to it via audiobook which was pleasant. It was a bit of a slow build to the very high stakes action at the end, but it was so worth it to see how everything played out. I will be talking about this more in my November wrap-up because this novel covered some very important topics related to the treatment of Native Americans in the U.S.

Elizabeth Raines

Another average read. I predicted a lot of the main twists in this book. Interesting insight on what life is like on a reservation. I think this would make a better movie than book. Shoutout to the author for the little references to metal bands.

Valentina Cherednichenko

A slow burn story that opened my eyes to the injustice and unparalleled stuggles the Native American population goes thru. The perfect balance of realistic horror and optimistic joy.

Kelsey Holtaway

I really enjoyed this! A fast paced thriller with a well thought-out cast. i especially loved the ending.

Lacey

I read this for the Dragons and Tea book club, and I enjoyed it. I loved reading about Lakota culture. If you are squeamish reading about violence, then I wouldn’t recommend this as it’s violent in parts.

Emily Christensen

Have you ever read a description of a book and thought “eh, I’m not sure this one is for me”? That is exactly how I felt when I first read the description of Winter Counts. I don’t generally reach for books written by men, and I thought I had read enough of those trendy “dark-ish thrillers.” I. Was. Wrong. 

Quick Synopsis: Set both on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota and Denver, CO, the book follows Virgil, the reservation’s local enforcer, as he tries to identify the source of drugs on the reservation. During his investigation, his nephew gets involved in the reservation’s drug circle and as a result goes missing. 

One thing that I really enjoy about a thriller or mystery is when they’re unpredictable and realistic – this book kept me guessing until the end and the end wasn’t just a “let’s wrap this up” situation. Weiden developed the characters and plot flawlessly, the book is descriptive in that I could picture everything, but not superfluous in its writing. 

This is a book that crime fiction/thriller/mystery lovers will devour but it’s also a book of an underrepresented narrative – for social justice advocates, this book uncovers the disservice the US justice system does to our Native American population.

This is an incredible debut novel, very well written and it’s a book for everyone regardless of gender, favorite genre, political beliefs, etc. I highly recommend Winter Counts to everyone! 

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