Review: Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice (Spoiler-Free)

'But then they followed us here and started taking our children away from us! That's when our world ended again. And that wasn't the last time. We've seen this . . . what's the word again?'

'Apocalypse.'

'Yes, apocalypse. We've had that over and over. But we always survived. We're still here. And we'll still be here, even if the power and the radios don't come back on and we never see any white people ever again.'

This is a slow, quaint tale of survival, but one I am sure not to forget.

I consider myself someone who reads for plot. I love a fast pace, hurtling through the story like a shooting star. But this book caught that star, pulled it down to Earth, placed it in a rural Anishinaabe community and let it sit. And I basked in that stillness.

Kayla from BooksandLala always mentions how much she loves a slow apocalypse story, but I never really knew what that meant. And then I read this novel. I understand now. There is no huge explosion, no impending alien invasion. Just a slow death. Not a bang, but a whimper. And within that, people have to continue to live.

This is such an atmospheric story with unique historical context, and it felt like something I would read for school (IN A GOOD WAY!). I wish I was able to read it with a class and a professor so we could discuss its intricacies, especially when it comes to the community it represents.

If you want to hear even more of my thoughts, check out my Summerween Reading Vlog! ❄️👻