The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

Pages: 231

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Dystopian / Canadian Indigenous

Notes for Parents: Contains some violence, coarse language, sexuality, and other mature content.

The Back Cover

In a world nearly destroyed by global warming, the indigenous people of North America are being hunted for their bone marrow, which carries the key to recovering something the rest of the population has lost: the ability to dream. Frenchie and his companions, struggling to survive, don’t yet know that one of them holds the secret to defeating the marrow thieves.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This novel received the 2017 Governor General’s Literary Award and won the 2017 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature. It was one of Quill & Quire’s Best Books of the Year and A Globe & Mail Best Book. It was also one of the New York Public Library’s Best Books for Teens and School Library Journal’s Best Books of the Year. It is a White Pine Nominee and a CBC Canada Reads Nominee for 2018.

What’s good?

This is a unique and relevant story about a young man surviving a new world order. In a time when indigenous people hold the key to curing a strange disease, remembering the old ways becomes a fundamental theme. Storytelling as a means of communication and learning is central to this narrative about culture, environment, resilience, and healing. The characters illustrate the diversity of indigenous people, and the traits that make up a community. The effects of intergenerational trauma are carefully woven into the story, just as respecting elders and valuing the young are lessons learned. Betrayal, grief, fear, greed, and desperation drive the plot filled with adventure, violence, and a respectable amount of romance.

Best Part: The scene in the hotel when they all end up in the same room.

What isn’t good?

Is this plausible? Would the entire country turn on indigenous people just because they lose their ability to dream? With little world building, it’s difficult to believe that such an apocalypse would be possible. But is there more to it. There’s mention of global warming and environmental changes being severe, but is all this enough to create such a brutal world? The start is slow and there are a few editing errors in my edition.

Worst part: Nothing.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺☻ (4/5)

It’s tough to buy into the premise, that non-natives just turn into homicidal maniacs when you take away their ability to dream? However, this isn’t as distracting as it should be. The characters are strong, and the story is more about the coming together of people to form a family. By exploring the “old-timey” ways of their culture, they learn to communicate and to help each other. By understanding the history of their people and the beliefs of their ancestors, they learn to heal. This is an interesting and relevant tale that explores current issues using science fiction and adventure. Definitely recommended.

Dimaline, Cherie. The Marrow Thieves. Toronto: Cormorant Books, 2017.