YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

Tommy Orange's wondrous and shattering novel follows twelve characters from Native communities: all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow, all connected to one another in ways they may not yet realize. Among them is Jacquie Red Feather, newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind. Dene Oxendene, pulling his life together after his uncle's death and working at the powwow to honor his memory. Fourteen-year-old Orvil, coming to perform traditional dance for the very first time. Together, this chorus of voices tells of the plight of the urban Native American--grappling with a complex and painful history, with an inheritance of beauty and spirituality, with communion and sacrifice and heroism. Hailed as an instant classic, There There is at once poignant and unflinching, utterly contemporary and truly unforgettable.

Prologue ~ (view spoiler)[The many stories of injustices against Native Americans was sad but also a bit angry and confrontational. I was worried that this would be the tone of the whole book. (hide spoiler)]

Part 1
(view spoiler)[It starts off with a history lesson, which I don’t necessarily love. I have to read this for class, so it’s not a novel I’d normally pick up. I do like that they give a quick run through of the history since I don’t know anything about it, and it helps a bit. I don’t know anything about the book yet, so I have no idea where this is going lol. The story about the rolling head was grim though. This was only the introduction damn, can’t wait to see what the next of the book will hold then. (hide spoiler)]

Marla wrote: "Prologue ~ [spoilers removed]"

I agree, I'm not sure what to expect

Bill Davis/Part 2
(view spoiler)[Alright so him and Octavio are going to rob a place? How did he even get to this point all of a sudden. Ahw Dene’s uncle is dying. I wonder if each chapter will be a different character? The change between present and past is a little odd. It’s cool that he wants to film a movie for his uncle, who has now died.

And now we’ve changed to another character again, I already forgot all about who the first one was. What a name, Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield lol. Ahw her mother has cancer! I wonder if they’ll be one of the people that Dene will interview? Their mother is now dead. Oh damn Jacquie was raped and is pregnant! Wow wait this guy mentions that his father was called Harvey, does it mean that Jacquie did get the kid??? (hide spoiler)]

Part 3
(view spoiler)[Bill seems like a dick. Calvin got mugged by the powwow? Was he the guy that one of the characters at the beginning was planning to rob? So many people man. It seems like Harvey has raped multiple girls then, and has more children. Jacquie apparently lost her daughter, poor thing, and is now addicted to alcohol. I think I liked Orvil’s chapter the most so far, but what was that thing in his leg?? Ew, I know it’s not spider legs but what was it?? Apparently Opal had them too? Ewwww (hide spoiler)]

Part IV
(view spoiler)[It's kind of cool how all the characters are connected to each other in some way and know each other, like Opal and Lucas (Dene's uncle right?). Opal checking the kids phones is not okay at all damn, has she heard of privacy? Apparently Daniel was the one who flew the drone in Bill’s face, I’m really enjoying all of the connections.

Woah and Blue is Jacquie’s daughter!! I really enjoyed the action in Blue’s story, although it’s obviously terrible that Paul abuses her. I feel like he got on the bus too idk. It’s weird that the perspective suddenly changed to ‘you’ in Thomas Frank’s chapter..? Odd. (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[Blue and Jacquie meeting, that's such a coincidence lol. And Edwin is her brother then, but she doesn’t know that yet; she doesn’t know that Harvey is her dad too.

Fuck they’re all dying!!! Bill is definitely dead, so is Thomas probably, damn man. I do enjoy this part a lot more because there’s so much action, but damn this is messed up. Man they’re all just gunning each other down. Damn Tony killed Charles.

Wait so it’s an open ending??? I hate that nooo, we don’t know who will and won’t survive dammit!! I did enjoy the end part a lot more though, but I hate that we're left not knowing how it all ends for them! And my spider leg question still didn't get answered, what was that?! (hide spoiler)]

Danique wrote: "Bill Davis/Part 2..."

I had to read this for book club so I was taking notes, but all the different characters were confusing. And soooo many characters.

(view spoiler)[I thought taking over his Uncle's project was cool. Someone in my book club thought that the organization of individual POVs in each chapter was a nod to Dene's biographical videos.

The rape and pregnancy was disturbing to me. (hide spoiler)]

Danique wrote: "Part 3 [spoilers removed]"

Harvey ~ (view spoiler)[What a jerk, I don't like that his being an alcoholic was the excuse for raping all those girls. (hide spoiler)]

Spider legs ~ (view spoiler)[I don't know what the symbolism of the spider legs was. Did your class cover that? (hide spoiler)]

I agree, I think Orvil's chapter was my favorite at that point.

Danique wrote: "Part IV..."

(view spoiler)[It was VERY clever how all the characters were all intertwined. It kind of reminded me of Pulp Fiction, that movie was confusing, lots of characters and they were all connected. (hide spoiler)]

Danique wrote: "Finished..."

I agree with everything you said. (view spoiler)[Very exciting, but stupid plan and everyone gets shot. Leaving it open ended so we don't know who survived was super irritating. But honestly, probably another reason that it won all those awards. I did like that they ended up at the same hospital.

The 3D printed guns was a cool tech plot twist, but hopefully it won't give any real life bad guys any ideas.

The drugs, alcohol abuse, sexual abuse and violence was every where in this book. I don't know if there was a chapter without one of those.
(hide spoiler)]

Marla wrote: "Danique wrote: "Bill Davis/Part 2..."

I had to read this for book club so I was taking notes, but all the different characters were confusing. And soooo many characters.

I thought taking over his..."

(view spoiler)[Oh that's such a good interpretation! It could definitely be a nod to Dene's videos indeed! (hide spoiler)]

Marla wrote: "Danique wrote: "Part 3 [spoilers removed]"

Harvey ~ [spoilers removed]

Spider legs ~ [spoilers removed]

I agree, I think Orvil's chapter was my favorite at that point."

(view spoiler)[It sadly did not! I did read something online about a specific disease that shows the same symptoms, and that maybe they just didn't know about the existence of it? It was still really weird though, I wish it was explained in the book or my class! Here's the link if you want to read more about it https://www.healthline.com/health/mor... (hide spoiler)]

Marla wrote: "Danique wrote: "Finished..."

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[You're right, there were a lot of heavy subjects, and basically in every chapter indeed. I wish we knew who had survived, but it was indeed cool to see them all together in the same hospital.

The 3D printer thing; I never thought about the fact that they could make guns that weren't possible to trace with it, quite a scary idea indeed. (hide spoiler)]

Danique wrote: " Marla wrote: "Danique wrote: "Part 3 [spoilers removed]"

Spider legs ~ [spoilers removed]..."

Thank you for the Morgellons Disease link. (view spoiler)[Since his brothers saw the spider legs too, I don't think it was psychological.

The article I read said that the spider legs were supposed to represent rebirth or a new start. I didn't get that and I don't know that I agree. (hide spoiler)]

Marla wrote: "Danique wrote: " Marla wrote: "Danique wrote: "Part 3 [spoilers removed]"

Spider legs ~ [spoilers removed]..."

Thank you for the Morgellons Disease link. Since his brothers saw the spider legs to..."

(view spoiler)[I don't get that either, I don't really see how spider legs represent a new start haha. It's sad that we don't really get an explanation, I really want to know XD (hide spoiler)]