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Trickster #1
Son of a Trickster
With striking originality and precision, Eden Robinson, the Giller-shortlisted author of the classic Monkey Beach and winner of the Writers Trust Engel/Findley Award, blends humour with heartbreak in this compelling coming-of-age novel. Everyday teen existence meets indigenous beliefs, crazy family dynamics, and cannibalistic river otter . . . 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.
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.
319 pages, Hardcover
First published February 7, 2017
About the author
Eden Robinson
19 books1,172 followersEden Victoria Lena Robinson (born 19 January 1968) is a Canadian novelist and short story writer.
Born in Kitamaat, British Columbia, she is a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations. She was educated at the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia.
Born in Kitamaat, British Columbia, she is a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations. She was educated at the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,669 reviews
August 20, 2019
So, this Canadian YA novel that weaves First Nations culture was recommended by a fellow educator. It was purchased along with other books for my classroom library. It has been picked up time and time again by my students, but they have shared that they just haven't been able to get through it. So, I decided I needed to find out for myself. I suspect that part of what might be uncomfortable for them is that the story for some may hit too close to home. Jared, our teenage protagonist is more responsible for his parents than they are of him. Drug abuse and alcoholism are big factors to the break up of his family. Mix that in with teenage pregnancy, suicide, Idle no More, and residential schools and is a heavy text. There is humor but it is also pretty dark.
But for all its topics, I didn't like the book. I am in the minority because this book has plenty of glowing reviews. The fact that it is a trilogy doesn't interest me either.
But for all its topics, I didn't like the book. I am in the minority because this book has plenty of glowing reviews. The fact that it is a trilogy doesn't interest me either.
September 30, 2020
TW: drug and alcohol abuse; child abuse and neglect; suicide attempt; self harm
This was not at all what I was expecting from the synopsis. This reads more like a contemporary YA novel about a teen with a rough home life and family dynamics that copes with drugs and alcohol. The magical elements only came into play 80% of the way into this first book, with 2-3 short instances before that where our main character assumes he’s just too drunk or high. I was mostly bored by this, as I didn’t care much about his day to day life and kept waiting for the magic and folklore elements to start. I don’t plan to continue with this series but I’d watch the coming adaptation to see how they bring the world to life more.
This was not at all what I was expecting from the synopsis. This reads more like a contemporary YA novel about a teen with a rough home life and family dynamics that copes with drugs and alcohol. The magical elements only came into play 80% of the way into this first book, with 2-3 short instances before that where our main character assumes he’s just too drunk or high. I was mostly bored by this, as I didn’t care much about his day to day life and kept waiting for the magic and folklore elements to start. I don’t plan to continue with this series but I’d watch the coming adaptation to see how they bring the world to life more.
February 7, 2017
The world is hard. You have to be harder.
Author Eden Robinson calls Son of a Trickster “a cognitive screwball gothic with working class people”, and that's too precisely perfect a description for me not to just quote her. As the coming-of-age story of a sixteen-year-old Native kid, Jared Martin, this book explores all the familiar anxieties faced by high school kids everywhere (social acceptance, family expectations, drug and sexual experimentation), layers on the less familiar anxieties particular to his situation (his mom's a violent hothead who exposes her son to a series of psycho boyfriends while denying Jared access to the substance-abusing father who desperately needs his son to help pay rent for him and his new family), and then further layers on the totally unfamiliar anxieties of a kid who is experiencing the thinning of the barriers between this world and that inhabited by his people's traditional bogeymen. I don't always have a lot of patience for magical realism, but this read like classic Stephen King and was absolutely terrifying. I was enchanted by the whole thing.
What works the best throughout this whole book is the believable decency of the main character, Jared – he is generous and empathetic and morally uncorrupted by the chaos around him – and his relationship with his mother: I laughed frequently at the verbal sparring between these two and their closeness radiated from the page. And not incidentally: the texting conversations between Jared and his mom (and a host of other characters) was probably the most believable use of this device I've ever read: why can't authors seem to get this right? Kudos to Robinson for knowing how and when to use texting.
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.
As the membrane between our earthbound reality and that of Wee’git the Trickster begins to thin for Jared, there are brief interludes in the narrative in which some entity (later become manifest as a swarm of fireflies) attempts to explain magic and altered consciousness through quantum physics; first to us the reader, and then to Jared himself. This sheen of science is useful, I guess, for those who might need convincing that ultradimensional beings are a natural feature of the universe (and not the easy-to-dismiss animism of so-called primitive religions), and I ate it up as simply interesting writing.
Set in Kitimat, B.C. (Robinson's hometown), Jared and his mother live off the Rez, but through school, Jared has contact with many Natives and non-Natives. Living in a party-house (his Mom and her boyfriend are drug-dealers), Jared is frequently given beer and shots, and most of the book sees him getting blackout drunk and showing up on YouTube with smart-mouthed rants and stumbling pratfall compilations. He's the Cookie Dude with the secret touch for baking pot cookies, but he also has a huge heart; helping the needy and taking the weight of the world on his thin shoulders. This book is filled with violence (of the human and supernatural varieties), people throwing their lives away on drugs and alcohol, and nonstop foul language; this view of Native life is totally unflattering. (There is one on-Rez kid, George “call me Crashpad”, who is a sober sci-fi geek, and the mostly white granddaughter of Jared's neighbour engages in activism with Idle No More and anti-pipeline protests; but they're definitely the exceptions.) On the other hand, this could be the story of working-class people anywhere, and until the Trickster shows up, nothing much identifies this as a Native story.
So, here's my criticism: I wanted more. The first chapter has Jared's paternal grandmother telling him, “That Trickster's been a huge dink to your mom's family for generations.” Yet, we never learn any of the details of what has gone on through the generations. Late in the book, Jared's Mom makes brief reference to events from her youth (and from her own mother's experiences at a Residential School), but no details are provided. Even the ending didn't really tie things up for me. And yet...I was happy to read in an interview with Eden Robinson that she is already at work on a sequel, Trickster Drift, and I can only hope that the blanks will all be filled in eventually. Because I will be picking it up; Robinson is too skilled at world-building for me not to join her there.
September 26, 2018
Son of a Trickster just came out after too many years without any new fiction from Eden Robinson. This novel is SO worth the wait. It’s about Jared, a sixteen-year-old burnout who drinks too much and smokes too much pot and lives on the rez with his mom, who he can’t trust to not bail on him and the bills or to not beat up guys who admittedly deserve it. But Jared is not a stereotype and not what an outsider would think: he’s also an incredibly compassionate person, to the point that others take advantage of him, and a person simply in search of not wanting to hurt or be hurt. All this coming-of-age story is incredible in and of itself, but the small magical touches that Robinson has sprinkled throughout the story suddenly burst to the forefront of the narrative in a totally unexpected way at the end, making you glad this book is the first in a new trickster trilogy.
It's also, like all her other books, hilarious. Take this excerpt that takes place when the main character Jared is a little kid getting dropped off at his Grandma’s house:
“Where’s Jim-Bob?” his mom said.
“Whoring,” Nana Sophia said.
“Jesus, Mother.”
“He’s a walking dick these days,” Nana Sophia said. “Thank you, Viagra. I hope his heart pops like the cancerous zit it is.”
“Jared’s right here,” his dad said.
“Fine. No cookies and no unpleasant truths. Dry toast and stern lectures for everyone.”
Probably surprisingly for readers new to Robinson but not for me, Son of a Trickster also contains passages like this:
Close your eyes. Concentrate on your breath. Remember that you were not always earthbound. Every living creature, every drop of water and every sombre mountain is the by-blow of some bloated, dying star. Deep down, we remember wriggling through the universe as beams of light.
Read it now! I love Eden Robinson so much I wrote this Book Riot article Meet Your New Favorite Darkly Comic, Magical Realist Writer: Eden Robinson
It's also, like all her other books, hilarious. Take this excerpt that takes place when the main character Jared is a little kid getting dropped off at his Grandma’s house:
“Where’s Jim-Bob?” his mom said.
“Whoring,” Nana Sophia said.
“Jesus, Mother.”
“He’s a walking dick these days,” Nana Sophia said. “Thank you, Viagra. I hope his heart pops like the cancerous zit it is.”
“Jared’s right here,” his dad said.
“Fine. No cookies and no unpleasant truths. Dry toast and stern lectures for everyone.”
Probably surprisingly for readers new to Robinson but not for me, Son of a Trickster also contains passages like this:
Close your eyes. Concentrate on your breath. Remember that you were not always earthbound. Every living creature, every drop of water and every sombre mountain is the by-blow of some bloated, dying star. Deep down, we remember wriggling through the universe as beams of light.
Read it now! I love Eden Robinson so much I wrote this Book Riot article Meet Your New Favorite Darkly Comic, Magical Realist Writer: Eden Robinson
July 31, 2020
Son of a Trickster is a 2020 Canada reads finalist that battled in Canada’s battle of the books for "The one book to bring focus to Canada." It is the third book I have read of the five finalists chosen this year. It came in second and well, I didn't think it is the one book to bring focus to Canada from the five finalists because it's not one I feel will appeal to a larger amount of readers with the magic realism and teenage POV. However, it gives a voice to Indigenous Canadians and their stories.
Eden Robinson weaves a coming of age story, dark comedy, with magic realism and a whole lot of family drama. She captures the messy, complex family dynamics through the POV of high school Jared living in Kitimat, BC. The magic realism adds a layer of culture and intrigue to the bleak story, but I got lost in it all and didn’t know what was part of the culture, real or storytelling.
Things were off to a great start for me, and I loved the snarky dialogue centred around Jared’s messy life. However, that humor turned bleak and got tiring real fast for this older reader. Eden Robinson does a good job capturing a realistic voice of a teenager sarcasm and with the dialogue between him and the other characters in the story. Like in real life, I became annoyed by it.
Jared is a likable character, he is compassionate and empathetic. He often plays the role of the adult and provides for and manages the adults in his life while struggling with his own conflicts. He drinks, uses drugs and his claim to fame is his pot cookies. A good part of the story digs into Jared’s daily life, and it felt repetitive at times and slowed down the story for me.
Overall I enjoyed it but it felt more like storytelling to me than showing me the depth to the story and the characters.
Eden Robinson weaves a coming of age story, dark comedy, with magic realism and a whole lot of family drama. She captures the messy, complex family dynamics through the POV of high school Jared living in Kitimat, BC. The magic realism adds a layer of culture and intrigue to the bleak story, but I got lost in it all and didn’t know what was part of the culture, real or storytelling.
Things were off to a great start for me, and I loved the snarky dialogue centred around Jared’s messy life. However, that humor turned bleak and got tiring real fast for this older reader. Eden Robinson does a good job capturing a realistic voice of a teenager sarcasm and with the dialogue between him and the other characters in the story. Like in real life, I became annoyed by it.
Jared is a likable character, he is compassionate and empathetic. He often plays the role of the adult and provides for and manages the adults in his life while struggling with his own conflicts. He drinks, uses drugs and his claim to fame is his pot cookies. A good part of the story digs into Jared’s daily life, and it felt repetitive at times and slowed down the story for me.
Overall I enjoyed it but it felt more like storytelling to me than showing me the depth to the story and the characters.
April 11, 2023
“He is single-handedly responsible for every wedgie, swirly, and locker-pop I’ve ever gotten”
I’ve read some fabulous novels by indigenous Canadian authors over the last couple of years and, based on some stellar reviews, I was definitely looking forward to SON OF A TRICKSTER. Damn, I really wanted to like it!
But this thing is an incomprehensible hot mess – self-indulgent parents indulging in irresponsible behaviour and irresponsible parenting; binge drinking and alcoholism; criminality that, in some instances, might make a Mafia Don blush; drug crimes, drug trafficking, and drug abuse; ugly violence; mean-spirited revenge; simple low-life behaviour; broken and dysfunctional family, friend and sexual relationships – and none of it related in any meaningful way to the underlying Canadian aboriginal social problems that might have been contributing factors to these stories.
Maclean’s magazine commented, “Robinson has a gift for making disparate elements come together into a convincing narrative, …” Well, I’ll agree the story elements were certainly disparate. But, as far as I could see, they started disparate and remained that way. The plot was muddy, confusing, and impossible to track. Indeed, to this reader, plot was all but non-existent.
The Globe and Mail added their two bits worth, “Funny and poignant”. The humour and poignancy simply escaped me. I thought it was sad and pathetic from first page to the point where I decided I had had enough.
A DNF wall-banger for this reader and I’ll close by adding that the prospect of picking up the second and third installments in a trilogy make me want to join Jared throwing up. God knows he did it often enough.
Paul Weiss
I’ve read some fabulous novels by indigenous Canadian authors over the last couple of years and, based on some stellar reviews, I was definitely looking forward to SON OF A TRICKSTER. Damn, I really wanted to like it!
But this thing is an incomprehensible hot mess – self-indulgent parents indulging in irresponsible behaviour and irresponsible parenting; binge drinking and alcoholism; criminality that, in some instances, might make a Mafia Don blush; drug crimes, drug trafficking, and drug abuse; ugly violence; mean-spirited revenge; simple low-life behaviour; broken and dysfunctional family, friend and sexual relationships – and none of it related in any meaningful way to the underlying Canadian aboriginal social problems that might have been contributing factors to these stories.
Maclean’s magazine commented, “Robinson has a gift for making disparate elements come together into a convincing narrative, …” Well, I’ll agree the story elements were certainly disparate. But, as far as I could see, they started disparate and remained that way. The plot was muddy, confusing, and impossible to track. Indeed, to this reader, plot was all but non-existent.
The Globe and Mail added their two bits worth, “Funny and poignant”. The humour and poignancy simply escaped me. I thought it was sad and pathetic from first page to the point where I decided I had had enough.
A DNF wall-banger for this reader and I’ll close by adding that the prospect of picking up the second and third installments in a trilogy make me want to join Jared throwing up. God knows he did it often enough.
Paul Weiss
July 23, 2018
Guys, there's no review I hate writing more than that of a book that's disappointed me. I had been really looking forward to getting down with Canadian-fantasy novel Son of a Trickster, which promised an indigenous cast, some teenage antics, and the sort of magical goings-on that usually tickle my fancy. To boot, I was also pumped to read something by Eden Robinson who has been written about in glowing terms by a few Canadian publications. Unfortunately, Son of a Trickster is an extremely unbalanced novel that dabbles a bit in everything without finding its own voice.
Our protagonist, sixteen year-old Jared, is a dude who's had a rough go of it. His mom and dad both have substance abuse issues and since they split, Jared's been subject to a slew of his mom's less-than-stellar boyfriends. Though the reality and voice portrayed in this novel are important ones to have on display in our literature, the realization of the world is banal and the writing isn't all that exciting either. Or, at least the Jared-perspective chapters aren't all that exciting.
What's more, Robinson spends oodles of time introducing a cast of teenage characters whose voices were more cringe-inducing than realistic. The dialogue these kids spout alternates between generic high school TV drama, unconvincing declarations of emotion, "I'm hunting for edibles", and some painful virtue signalling. Robinson also has this tendency to insert a popular song from a few years ago and have the kids sing the song. I'm not sure why this irked me so much--I'm usually a fan of real-world art finding its way into my novels--but it made the book feel forced.
The drinking habits of Jared, his friends, and family also take centre stage for the bulk of the novel. Indeed, there's not many chapters that pass by where the characters draw sober breaths. In the right hands, writing about addiction can be compelling, empathy-inducing, and shocking in equal measure. Instead, the book falls into a tedious routine of having most chapters open with Jared waking up unsure of where he is or how he arrived in that particular predicament. By the time Jared starts to change his ways, the novel had lost most of my good faith.
When I look back on Son of a Trickster, I think of the many great elements of the book that failed to come together for me. Though I didn't touch on it much, the fantasy-aspect of the book really doesn't come into play until the last third of the novel and by then it's too little, too late for Son of a Trickster. It's a real shame that this book fell so flat for me, especially since this books seems to have landed quite well with the press and my fellow Goodreadians. Though I'm not ready to drop the axe on the trilogy as a whole, I doubt I'll be returning to Son of a Trickster's sequel later this year with any urgency.
Our protagonist, sixteen year-old Jared, is a dude who's had a rough go of it. His mom and dad both have substance abuse issues and since they split, Jared's been subject to a slew of his mom's less-than-stellar boyfriends. Though the reality and voice portrayed in this novel are important ones to have on display in our literature, the realization of the world is banal and the writing isn't all that exciting either. Or, at least the Jared-perspective chapters aren't all that exciting.
What's more, Robinson spends oodles of time introducing a cast of teenage characters whose voices were more cringe-inducing than realistic. The dialogue these kids spout alternates between generic high school TV drama, unconvincing declarations of emotion, "I'm hunting for edibles", and some painful virtue signalling. Robinson also has this tendency to insert a popular song from a few years ago and have the kids sing the song. I'm not sure why this irked me so much--I'm usually a fan of real-world art finding its way into my novels--but it made the book feel forced.
The drinking habits of Jared, his friends, and family also take centre stage for the bulk of the novel. Indeed, there's not many chapters that pass by where the characters draw sober breaths. In the right hands, writing about addiction can be compelling, empathy-inducing, and shocking in equal measure. Instead, the book falls into a tedious routine of having most chapters open with Jared waking up unsure of where he is or how he arrived in that particular predicament. By the time Jared starts to change his ways, the novel had lost most of my good faith.
When I look back on Son of a Trickster, I think of the many great elements of the book that failed to come together for me. Though I didn't touch on it much, the fantasy-aspect of the book really doesn't come into play until the last third of the novel and by then it's too little, too late for Son of a Trickster. It's a real shame that this book fell so flat for me, especially since this books seems to have landed quite well with the press and my fellow Goodreadians. Though I'm not ready to drop the axe on the trilogy as a whole, I doubt I'll be returning to Son of a Trickster's sequel later this year with any urgency.
November 8, 2021
3.5 to 4ish stars.
I've never read anything by Eden Robinson before, so this was a pleasant surprise. Jared, the main character, lives with his mother. His parents have split up, and his father, a recovering drug addict, has a new family. Jared's mother is scary, and has hurt various boyfriends for threatening or hurting Jared. Jared's mother also has anger issues.
Jared is sixteen years old and a good guy. Jared is struggling in school, and spends much of his time drinking or doing drugs, making marijuana-laced cookies, or helping others. Jared has been giving his father money while not telling his mother, who tends to rage about her former husband and his new family. Jared also helps his elderly neighbours, clearing snow and other tasks.
Jared's life is fraught with anger, with lonliness, and recently, weirdness. His maternal grandmother has long called him the son of Trickster, and doesn't appear to trust him.
Eden Robinson has crafted a story I could not put down. Jared drifts through his life, avoiding confrontations with his mother, but seemingly unable to avoid them with his peers, thanks to his sarcastic mouth.
At times, thanks to Jared's intoxication or drug use, he wasn't sure if the weird things were real or hallucinations; I like how Eden Robinson walks over that line separating drug-induced and fantastic/mythical.
The characters are fantastic. Even if I found some scary, some dangerous, or some annoying, I felt like I was reading about real people. The conversations between Jared and Nana Sophia were my favourites.
As this is the first of more books about Jared, you're left wondering what else does it mean for Jared being the son of Trickster.
I've never read anything by Eden Robinson before, so this was a pleasant surprise. Jared, the main character, lives with his mother. His parents have split up, and his father, a recovering drug addict, has a new family. Jared's mother is scary, and has hurt various boyfriends for threatening or hurting Jared. Jared's mother also has anger issues.
Jared is sixteen years old and a good guy. Jared is struggling in school, and spends much of his time drinking or doing drugs, making marijuana-laced cookies, or helping others. Jared has been giving his father money while not telling his mother, who tends to rage about her former husband and his new family. Jared also helps his elderly neighbours, clearing snow and other tasks.
Jared's life is fraught with anger, with lonliness, and recently, weirdness. His maternal grandmother has long called him the son of Trickster, and doesn't appear to trust him.
Eden Robinson has crafted a story I could not put down. Jared drifts through his life, avoiding confrontations with his mother, but seemingly unable to avoid them with his peers, thanks to his sarcastic mouth.
At times, thanks to Jared's intoxication or drug use, he wasn't sure if the weird things were real or hallucinations; I like how Eden Robinson walks over that line separating drug-induced and fantastic/mythical.
The characters are fantastic. Even if I found some scary, some dangerous, or some annoying, I felt like I was reading about real people. The conversations between Jared and Nana Sophia were my favourites.
As this is the first of more books about Jared, you're left wondering what else does it mean for Jared being the son of Trickster.
June 22, 2021
/ / / Read more reviews on my blog / / /
A one-sentence summary for Son of a Trickster could go something like this: slacker boy spends his days getting drunk, high, and/or puking.
Having loved Eden Robinson's Monkey Beach (one of the most memorable coming of ages that i've read in the past few years) I was expecting Son of a Trickster to be just as good. In this novel, Robinson once again showcases her ear for language, and the dialogues and conversations peppered throughout the narrative certainly rang true to life (in spite of how bizarre things get towards the end). The dialogues have this very naturalistic quality that I really enjoyed. The story however wasn't nearly as satisfying as the one from Monkey Beach. While Monkey Beach wasn't necessarily plot-driven, its characters and setting were incredibly compelling. Son of a Trickster instead doesn't quite deliver on those fronts. Our protagonist, Jared, is a Native teen who doesn't seem all that engaged with the world. He bakes weed cookies, gets high or drunk, has bad trips, and gets into scraps with the local douchebags. His deadbeat dad is largely absent from his life, his mother has some serious anger issues & is wasted a lot of the time.
The kind of scenarios Jared finds himself in would not be out of place in an episode of Shameless. Except that here the humor takes the backseat. There are some genuinely funny scenes and lines, but for the most part reading time and again about these dysfunctional characters getting drunk, high, puking, farting, being horny, enabling one another...it wasn't all that fun. The narrative retains this fuzzy quality that makes it difficult to wholly grasp wtf is going on most of the time. Jared has a few odd encounters or experiences that he chalks up to being 'off his head' but as we read on we will begin to suspect that that may not be the case after all. But, by the end, most, if not all, of the odd things that occur earlier on in Jared's story are given zero explanations.
There were also a lot of scenes and dynamics that left me feeling kind of icky. This was likely intentional but I, for one, could have done without it.
Jared's high school 'friends' were grating, and some of the teenage jargon seemed a bit too self-conscious. I appreciated how messy Robinson's characters are, there truly are not 'good' or 'bad' guys here. The 'supernatural' element only comes in towards the end of the novel and by then I was a wee bit bored by the random vignettes that seem to comprise the majority of this narrative. Still, I found the issues Robinson touches upon during the course of the novel to be thought-provoking (abuse, generational trauma, neglect, addiction, the horrific realities and impact of residential schools).
While I'm not sure whether I will be reading the sequel to this, I am still keen to read more by Robinson (hopefully not all of her work has this much puke in it).
“People were like that, though. Basically good until they thought they could get away with shit without being caught.”
A one-sentence summary for Son of a Trickster could go something like this: slacker boy spends his days getting drunk, high, and/or puking.
“The world is hard, his mom liked to say. You have to be harder.”
Having loved Eden Robinson's Monkey Beach (one of the most memorable coming of ages that i've read in the past few years) I was expecting Son of a Trickster to be just as good. In this novel, Robinson once again showcases her ear for language, and the dialogues and conversations peppered throughout the narrative certainly rang true to life (in spite of how bizarre things get towards the end). The dialogues have this very naturalistic quality that I really enjoyed. The story however wasn't nearly as satisfying as the one from Monkey Beach. While Monkey Beach wasn't necessarily plot-driven, its characters and setting were incredibly compelling. Son of a Trickster instead doesn't quite deliver on those fronts. Our protagonist, Jared, is a Native teen who doesn't seem all that engaged with the world. He bakes weed cookies, gets high or drunk, has bad trips, and gets into scraps with the local douchebags. His deadbeat dad is largely absent from his life, his mother has some serious anger issues & is wasted a lot of the time.
The kind of scenarios Jared finds himself in would not be out of place in an episode of Shameless. Except that here the humor takes the backseat. There are some genuinely funny scenes and lines, but for the most part reading time and again about these dysfunctional characters getting drunk, high, puking, farting, being horny, enabling one another...it wasn't all that fun. The narrative retains this fuzzy quality that makes it difficult to wholly grasp wtf is going on most of the time. Jared has a few odd encounters or experiences that he chalks up to being 'off his head' but as we read on we will begin to suspect that that may not be the case after all. But, by the end, most, if not all, of the odd things that occur earlier on in Jared's story are given zero explanations.
There were also a lot of scenes and dynamics that left me feeling kind of icky. This was likely intentional but I, for one, could have done without it.
Jared's high school 'friends' were grating, and some of the teenage jargon seemed a bit too self-conscious. I appreciated how messy Robinson's characters are, there truly are not 'good' or 'bad' guys here. The 'supernatural' element only comes in towards the end of the novel and by then I was a wee bit bored by the random vignettes that seem to comprise the majority of this narrative. Still, I found the issues Robinson touches upon during the course of the novel to be thought-provoking (abuse, generational trauma, neglect, addiction, the horrific realities and impact of residential schools).
While I'm not sure whether I will be reading the sequel to this, I am still keen to read more by Robinson (hopefully not all of her work has this much puke in it).
October 7, 2020
My full review and some discussion of similar titles.
4.5 stars
Why you may not like this book: There are several "make or break" elements present in Son of a Trickster. It is character driven and doesn't have a very strong driving plot. It's a look at main character Jared's life across a year, as things in his life follow a very similar pattern, while also breaking down further across time.
Because it is plot-light and because it has flashes from the past, instances where we are experience weird things a bit unmoored in time, this reads as a story with something of a non-traditional story structure. If you are opposed to non-linear stories, this has enough of that that I suspect it won't work well for you.
This is fabulistic and I think if you approach it with assumptions of what that means, or what that magic will be like, or how it will be presented, you may set yourself up for disappointment. I think it's best to realize that the magic is in the premise-- the very concept of tricksters-- and in the way that it pulls from storytelling traditions of Indigenous peoples.
Jared is a 16 year old boy with a lot stacked against him, but who also makes some bad decisions of his own. We see him floundering, stuck in a cycle of bad decisions. If you can't have empathy for him, this will be a tough read. I highly recommend watching interviews with Robinson, as I think hearing her talk about context for this work and the experiences she's drawing inspiration from adds so much to the story.
That said, this is a story that deals with many very heavy topics: substance abuse, alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, child abuse, animal abuse, death of a pet, self-harm, and an attempted suicide.
Why, as it turns out, I did in fact love this: This was a story that has some staying power and that I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. There is this feeling that this magic that Jared has been willfully ignoring throughout his life is getting closer and closer to him. The lines are blurring. And as the reader, we are learning to see more and more of it in his life. It does pass a threshold of us knowing, or accepting, more than Jared does, but I was so invested in him as a character that it didn't quite bother me. Robinson does a great job of teasing it out and it's one of those books that by the end, you just know that were you to go back and reread it, you would notice so much much.
Initially, I thought I had an issue with the pacing here. I will say that the middle part IS repetitive, in terms of the cycles Jared has fallen into, but in retrospect, I find that it an incredibly smart and effective way to tell the story.
I really have a soft spot for Jared, and in general found all of the characters well fleshed out. Jared's got a bunch of sarcasm that adds some levity to a book that is otherwise dealing with serious subjects.
Overall, I just think this was incredibly well done and very impactful. It very much feels like the first part of a longer story, but an interesting one and one that will better for the sort of slow, steady build Robinson has provided.
4.5 stars
Why you may not like this book: There are several "make or break" elements present in Son of a Trickster. It is character driven and doesn't have a very strong driving plot. It's a look at main character Jared's life across a year, as things in his life follow a very similar pattern, while also breaking down further across time.
Because it is plot-light and because it has flashes from the past, instances where we are experience weird things a bit unmoored in time, this reads as a story with something of a non-traditional story structure. If you are opposed to non-linear stories, this has enough of that that I suspect it won't work well for you.
This is fabulistic and I think if you approach it with assumptions of what that means, or what that magic will be like, or how it will be presented, you may set yourself up for disappointment. I think it's best to realize that the magic is in the premise-- the very concept of tricksters-- and in the way that it pulls from storytelling traditions of Indigenous peoples.
Jared is a 16 year old boy with a lot stacked against him, but who also makes some bad decisions of his own. We see him floundering, stuck in a cycle of bad decisions. If you can't have empathy for him, this will be a tough read. I highly recommend watching interviews with Robinson, as I think hearing her talk about context for this work and the experiences she's drawing inspiration from adds so much to the story.
That said, this is a story that deals with many very heavy topics: substance abuse, alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, child abuse, animal abuse, death of a pet, self-harm, and an attempted suicide.
Why, as it turns out, I did in fact love this: This was a story that has some staying power and that I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. There is this feeling that this magic that Jared has been willfully ignoring throughout his life is getting closer and closer to him. The lines are blurring. And as the reader, we are learning to see more and more of it in his life. It does pass a threshold of us knowing, or accepting, more than Jared does, but I was so invested in him as a character that it didn't quite bother me. Robinson does a great job of teasing it out and it's one of those books that by the end, you just know that were you to go back and reread it, you would notice so much much.
Initially, I thought I had an issue with the pacing here. I will say that the middle part IS repetitive, in terms of the cycles Jared has fallen into, but in retrospect, I find that it an incredibly smart and effective way to tell the story.
I really have a soft spot for Jared, and in general found all of the characters well fleshed out. Jared's got a bunch of sarcasm that adds some levity to a book that is otherwise dealing with serious subjects.
Overall, I just think this was incredibly well done and very impactful. It very much feels like the first part of a longer story, but an interesting one and one that will better for the sort of slow, steady build Robinson has provided.
December 18, 2017
To call this novel a coming of age story is a bit of a misdirection. It has elements of that but there is a lot more going on. I'm still a bit confused by this novel, honestly. Jared is a first nations kid in Canada who sometimes lives on the reservation. He has very little parenting, his grandmother claims he is not completely human and has some trickster in him, and he starts experiencing a realm of the supernatural. But then again, he's also someone who sells pot cookies and drinks more than he should, so part of my skeptical brain wondered if these experiences weren't just the fallout of chemicals in the brain of a not fully formed teenager.
The people in his life who are most connected to this supernatural world, of witches and spells and general animism, seem to also be the most unreliable, so that begs another question.
At the same time Jared has to bear more responsibility than he should have to. He has to figure out how to keep the power on when his Mom takes off, he ends up caring for an infant when his stepsister takes off, he is rejected by part of his family. So I found myself feeling very empathetic towards him. Near the end he attends a meeting to attempt a journey toward sobriety and it is so ill-received by his friends and family that it is obvious this is going to be a repeated struggle.
The end of the book reveals where (the alleged) book 2 will go, but I'm not sure this book needs a sequel.
I read this when it was longlisted for the Tournament of Books and came up as probably a dark horse. However I did know about it because of its place on the Giller Prize shortlist.
The people in his life who are most connected to this supernatural world, of witches and spells and general animism, seem to also be the most unreliable, so that begs another question.
At the same time Jared has to bear more responsibility than he should have to. He has to figure out how to keep the power on when his Mom takes off, he ends up caring for an infant when his stepsister takes off, he is rejected by part of his family. So I found myself feeling very empathetic towards him. Near the end he attends a meeting to attempt a journey toward sobriety and it is so ill-received by his friends and family that it is obvious this is going to be a repeated struggle.
The end of the book reveals where (the alleged) book 2 will go, but I'm not sure this book needs a sequel.
I read this when it was longlisted for the Tournament of Books and came up as probably a dark horse. However I did know about it because of its place on the Giller Prize shortlist.
Read
June 27, 2022Oh. My. God. I fucking loved this book so damn much that my heart feels like it’s going to burst. I always love a coming of age story but this one is unlike any other that I have ever read. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read, PERIOD. Jared is the most flawed and fucked up teen and watching his trail of booze and destruction was simultaneously heart breaking and entertaining. You can’t really blame him for being a drunken screw up though, it’s all he’s ever known growing up and just that in itself makes me want to cry because it hits SO close to home. Then the Indigenous folklore and beliefs and magic start getting woven in once Jared’s character has been fully established and from there shit starts to get WEIRD. And I’m talking good weird with everything from cannibalistic otters, ultra dimensional alien firefly things, ape men and tricksters. I thought the beginning was crazy but once all those elements got thrown in it was taken up a notch and I just soaked it all up greedily. I was in NO WAY prepared for the ending, so many things about it just absolutely gutted me and tore my heart into pieces and had me ugly crying. It hurt SO good and I wouldn’t have had it any other way because it was absolute perfection just like the rest of the story was. This is one of those books that made me feel something that words can’t accurately express and it’s settled in to remain a part of me forever.
February 6, 2023
I just loved this. Robinson captures all of the larger than life feelings of living so perfectly, showcasing the magnification of life as experienced by teenagers.
The story is simple, populated by complex characters displaying all the ugly and wonderful varieties available. The magical element seeps in and imbues the story without taking it over. It remains centered on the effortful coming of age experienced by Jared as he tries to keep his family and his own sanity intact.
The story is simple, populated by complex characters displaying all the ugly and wonderful varieties available. The magical element seeps in and imbues the story without taking it over. It remains centered on the effortful coming of age experienced by Jared as he tries to keep his family and his own sanity intact.
March 14, 2019
Second review: March 8, 2019
I picked up Trickster Drift when it came out, but I knew I wanted to re-read Son of a Trickster to refresh my memory before I started the sequel. I’m really glad I did. It has given more an extended visit to Jared’s world, and what an interesting world this is.
I really love this book, and re-reading it has only increased my appreciation for its depth and the skill of Robinson’s writing. My earlier review goes into more detail, and my experience this time around provoked a lot of the same reactions. In particular, Robinson’s deft pop culture and SF references are so great.
One thing that changed this time around? In my first review, I was critical of how Robinson mixes magic and quantum mechanics. It’s a trope that’s so common I feel it’s cliché, and I was looking at it through that lens. This time around, though, I’ve changed my mind. I actually really like how the fireflies, in particular, attempt to explain what’s happening to Jared in the best way they can manage with our words. Robinson is really making the point that magic isn’t necessarily undiscovered or uncomprehended science; it’s actually a wholly different way of examining our world as it relates to other universes. It’s something that we ordinary humans just aren’t equipped to understand, like a missing sense or organ, but some people, like Jared, are immersed in it.
Highly recommend this book, and the sequel.
First review: February 6, 2017
Son of a Trickster came across my Twitter feed one day and I knew I had to read it. I’m trying to read more books by Indigenous authors, and this one looked really good. Sure enough, it’s a smart and savvy novel that delivers great characters and dialogue, never compromising on its message while still remaining entertaining. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for providing me with an ARC.
Jared, like Eden Robinson herself, is Haisla and Heiltsuk and lives in Kitimat, British Columbia. When we first meet him, as a young boy, his parents are moving west—following work—and his maternal grandmother is being mean to him, claiming his father isn’t really his father but that he is instead Wee’git’s son, a trickster’s son. In contrast, Jared’s paternal grandmother showers him with affection and remains a source of support throughout much of the intervening years. Jumping ahead to when Jared is 16, the novel shows us a very different world: Jared lives with his mom, who wants him to have nothing to do with his father, though he is secretly giving money to his father and stepsister. He’s basically just trying to keep his head down, get through school, make enough money to help out his family, etc. But people, and other beings, keep getting in the way.
Son of a Trickster does not pull its punches when it comes to the bleakness of its situation. In many ways it reminds me of Lullabies for Little Criminals . In both cases, the protagonist lives in poverty with negligent parents. Jared has somewhat more agency than Baby did, a function of his age, gender, and particular circumstances: he is still in school, and at 16 he has started figuring out how to earn his own cash. But make no mistake: this is not a “feel good” novel of “redemption.” There is a lot of swearing and a lot of darkness. Jared seems inexorably to jump from frying pan to fire, and the cloying sheen of the “it gets better” after-school special is nowhere to be seen.
I love Jared as a character. He’s just so … 16, but that mature kind of 16 that crops up when you can’t rely on your parents. And he is just so good. He could easily embrace crime, start dealing drugs like Richie and his mom want him to, start carrying a gun and becoming a heavy … but he deliberately pushes that out of his life. He goes over to his next-door neighbour to shovel her drive and help her with chores. He works assiduously to earn enough money to help out his dad. Yes, he smokes pot and makes pot cookies for his largest source of income (he also has a paper route). But Robinson captures that paradox of being 16: you’re too old to be called a child but too young to be treated fully like an adult.
Jared is still in school, trying to survive Grade 10 in this book, and that’s kind of amazing given all the shit he has to deal with. Sometimes he has to take buses across town to give money to his stepsister to pay off his dad’s back rent … and still he tries to study and do his homework. Sure, he isn’t always successful—but when some kids would drop out, Jared perseveres. And note that I’m not trying to hold up Jared as some kind of anomaly among 16-year-olds—quite the opposite, in fact. I think many authors underestimate adolescents, but that isn’t the case here.
Nor is Jared pure. He has his share of flaws, makes his share of mistakes. He drinks, even blacks out, and then others have to fill him in on the poor choices he made (hello, viral videos). But there are also times he doesn’t black out, or times he doesn’t make the poorer choice, and Robinson shows us those too. The former are just as important as the latter, because it’s their contrast that makes him a worthwhile protagonist—and, in the end, it’s the choices that Jared makes to confront those past choices that makes him change and grow.
The setting helps to amplify Jared’s struggle for the reader. I’m quite harsh on Jared’s mom here, because I think she’s irresponsible in her parenting, but I am sympathetic to the challenges she faces as a single parent with no stable income. I’ve seen the effects of poverty on families, especially among First Nations youth in an urban environment. The conditions that Robinson depicts in Son of a Trickster are real. Nevertheless, I’ve been fortunate enough in my life never to experience poverty myself. I’ve never known the sensation of not knowing what I’m eating that same day, or lived under the sword of the utility company cutting my power. Jared’s precariousness is a constant presence in this novel, and Robinson represents it in a way that underscores its significance for readers who might otherwise be ignorant of its effects.
This is also an extremely tech and culturally savvy novel. It’s subtle, but by the end of the book I had really come to appreciate how Robinson weaves these elements throughout the book. Jared corresponds with several people via text or Facebook message; the later is his principal mode of communication with Nana Sophia. Robinson’s voice in these moments is very accurate; she captures the atmosphere created by these media. Also, I just love the nerdy references to shows like Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica, most of which originate from a rez kid, George, who insists Jared start calling him by the “callsign” of Crashpad. Indigenous people, particularly Indigenous youth, are underrepresented as it is in literature—but when they do put in an appearance, there is a tendency to ground them almost exclusively in Indigenous iconography (and often generic or mistaken iconography at that). These stereotypes are so pervasive that our Prime Minister recently commented at a town hall that the youth he spoke with want “canoe storage” over rec centres with WiFi. (Insert audible eyerolling here.) Robinson combats this stereotype quite neatly here, for Crashpad might live on the reserve, but he and his friends are just as phone-obsessed, Internet binging, sci-fi watching as teenagers of any stripe.
When Haisla/Heiltsuk traditions and history are referenced, it’s because it relates to the plot or characters in some way. Jared learns a little bit about how his maternal grandmother’s experiences at residential school affected her. Several of the women in his life, from his mother to Nana Sophia to some others I won’t spoil, are “witches” with access to powers and spells; other characters share with Jared a heritage that is more-than-human. There’s a bit of an American Gods vibe happening here, although I recognize the latter is a pastiche of various religions and mythologies whereas this one is much more about Jared’s personal journey through the cultures that lay claim to him.
As I don’t have the cultural background necessary to critique how Robinson portrays these elements, I’m not going to go into much detail there. However, I wasn’t sold on the way she uses the firefly beings that Jared sees to try to syncretize the magic with quantum mechanics. Any time someone tries to use quantum mechanics as an excuse for magic, a little alarm bell labelled “what the bleep to we know” goes off in my brain. It’s not that I’m against attempts to explain magic in pseudoscientific ways—that can be fun, because this is, after all, fiction. Nevertheless, these kinds of attempts at equivalency tend to muddle what is already a muddy subject, because quantum mechanics is counter-intuitive and poorly explained, let alone understood. I think I get why Robinson did this, but I could have done without that entire element. Thankfully, it isn’t a huge part of the plot and is easy enough to ignore.
In addition to the tech/culture savviness, I love the subversive moments, like this one where Robinson has characters confront the gender binary. For all that I loved most of the dialogue, I actually only highlighted one passage in this book:
I’m so-so on Sarah as a character, but I like the romance/not-a-romance between her and Jared. Again, it feels a lot less contrived or stereotypical than how these kinds of relationships are so often portrayed in books featuring young adults.
As far as classifying this book, I suppose it might be called a “young adult novel”, though this is an example of how that label never really feels appropriate. This is a book adults should be reading, and a book that adolescents could read and enjoy too. Yes, there is sex and swearing and drugs and drinking in it. If you think your adolescent isn’t aware of these things among their peers and even participating in such things themselves, I have a pipeline I can sell to you.
I like the ending. I said before that this is not a novel of redemption, and I stand by that. This is a bleak book—but it’s bleakness with a hopeful ending. Like many such novels, it hits us hard and fast with so much that can go wrong in an adolescent’s life—and then it reminds us that there is always still hope. And I like that, for all that this book is about Jared’s potential link to a Trickster figure, the conclusion is ultimately about Jared becoming more of who he already is rather than trying to shape-shift his identity to match something he is not.
Son of a Trickster, then, is fantastic. I like its representation of an Indigenous teen (for what my opinion as a settler is worth), not that this is surprising considering its #ownvoices origin. Beyond this cultural dimension, though, I just love the book itself. The plot, setting, and characters all come together to deliver a breathtaking and beautiful book, and this is me holding my hand out saying, “Um, sequel please!”
I picked up Trickster Drift when it came out, but I knew I wanted to re-read Son of a Trickster to refresh my memory before I started the sequel. I’m really glad I did. It has given more an extended visit to Jared’s world, and what an interesting world this is.
I really love this book, and re-reading it has only increased my appreciation for its depth and the skill of Robinson’s writing. My earlier review goes into more detail, and my experience this time around provoked a lot of the same reactions. In particular, Robinson’s deft pop culture and SF references are so great.
One thing that changed this time around? In my first review, I was critical of how Robinson mixes magic and quantum mechanics. It’s a trope that’s so common I feel it’s cliché, and I was looking at it through that lens. This time around, though, I’ve changed my mind. I actually really like how the fireflies, in particular, attempt to explain what’s happening to Jared in the best way they can manage with our words. Robinson is really making the point that magic isn’t necessarily undiscovered or uncomprehended science; it’s actually a wholly different way of examining our world as it relates to other universes. It’s something that we ordinary humans just aren’t equipped to understand, like a missing sense or organ, but some people, like Jared, are immersed in it.
Highly recommend this book, and the sequel.
First review: February 6, 2017
Son of a Trickster came across my Twitter feed one day and I knew I had to read it. I’m trying to read more books by Indigenous authors, and this one looked really good. Sure enough, it’s a smart and savvy novel that delivers great characters and dialogue, never compromising on its message while still remaining entertaining. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for providing me with an ARC.
Jared, like Eden Robinson herself, is Haisla and Heiltsuk and lives in Kitimat, British Columbia. When we first meet him, as a young boy, his parents are moving west—following work—and his maternal grandmother is being mean to him, claiming his father isn’t really his father but that he is instead Wee’git’s son, a trickster’s son. In contrast, Jared’s paternal grandmother showers him with affection and remains a source of support throughout much of the intervening years. Jumping ahead to when Jared is 16, the novel shows us a very different world: Jared lives with his mom, who wants him to have nothing to do with his father, though he is secretly giving money to his father and stepsister. He’s basically just trying to keep his head down, get through school, make enough money to help out his family, etc. But people, and other beings, keep getting in the way.
Son of a Trickster does not pull its punches when it comes to the bleakness of its situation. In many ways it reminds me of Lullabies for Little Criminals . In both cases, the protagonist lives in poverty with negligent parents. Jared has somewhat more agency than Baby did, a function of his age, gender, and particular circumstances: he is still in school, and at 16 he has started figuring out how to earn his own cash. But make no mistake: this is not a “feel good” novel of “redemption.” There is a lot of swearing and a lot of darkness. Jared seems inexorably to jump from frying pan to fire, and the cloying sheen of the “it gets better” after-school special is nowhere to be seen.
I love Jared as a character. He’s just so … 16, but that mature kind of 16 that crops up when you can’t rely on your parents. And he is just so good. He could easily embrace crime, start dealing drugs like Richie and his mom want him to, start carrying a gun and becoming a heavy … but he deliberately pushes that out of his life. He goes over to his next-door neighbour to shovel her drive and help her with chores. He works assiduously to earn enough money to help out his dad. Yes, he smokes pot and makes pot cookies for his largest source of income (he also has a paper route). But Robinson captures that paradox of being 16: you’re too old to be called a child but too young to be treated fully like an adult.
Jared is still in school, trying to survive Grade 10 in this book, and that’s kind of amazing given all the shit he has to deal with. Sometimes he has to take buses across town to give money to his stepsister to pay off his dad’s back rent … and still he tries to study and do his homework. Sure, he isn’t always successful—but when some kids would drop out, Jared perseveres. And note that I’m not trying to hold up Jared as some kind of anomaly among 16-year-olds—quite the opposite, in fact. I think many authors underestimate adolescents, but that isn’t the case here.
Nor is Jared pure. He has his share of flaws, makes his share of mistakes. He drinks, even blacks out, and then others have to fill him in on the poor choices he made (hello, viral videos). But there are also times he doesn’t black out, or times he doesn’t make the poorer choice, and Robinson shows us those too. The former are just as important as the latter, because it’s their contrast that makes him a worthwhile protagonist—and, in the end, it’s the choices that Jared makes to confront those past choices that makes him change and grow.
The setting helps to amplify Jared’s struggle for the reader. I’m quite harsh on Jared’s mom here, because I think she’s irresponsible in her parenting, but I am sympathetic to the challenges she faces as a single parent with no stable income. I’ve seen the effects of poverty on families, especially among First Nations youth in an urban environment. The conditions that Robinson depicts in Son of a Trickster are real. Nevertheless, I’ve been fortunate enough in my life never to experience poverty myself. I’ve never known the sensation of not knowing what I’m eating that same day, or lived under the sword of the utility company cutting my power. Jared’s precariousness is a constant presence in this novel, and Robinson represents it in a way that underscores its significance for readers who might otherwise be ignorant of its effects.
This is also an extremely tech and culturally savvy novel. It’s subtle, but by the end of the book I had really come to appreciate how Robinson weaves these elements throughout the book. Jared corresponds with several people via text or Facebook message; the later is his principal mode of communication with Nana Sophia. Robinson’s voice in these moments is very accurate; she captures the atmosphere created by these media. Also, I just love the nerdy references to shows like Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica, most of which originate from a rez kid, George, who insists Jared start calling him by the “callsign” of Crashpad. Indigenous people, particularly Indigenous youth, are underrepresented as it is in literature—but when they do put in an appearance, there is a tendency to ground them almost exclusively in Indigenous iconography (and often generic or mistaken iconography at that). These stereotypes are so pervasive that our Prime Minister recently commented at a town hall that the youth he spoke with want “canoe storage” over rec centres with WiFi. (Insert audible eyerolling here.) Robinson combats this stereotype quite neatly here, for Crashpad might live on the reserve, but he and his friends are just as phone-obsessed, Internet binging, sci-fi watching as teenagers of any stripe.
When Haisla/Heiltsuk traditions and history are referenced, it’s because it relates to the plot or characters in some way. Jared learns a little bit about how his maternal grandmother’s experiences at residential school affected her. Several of the women in his life, from his mother to Nana Sophia to some others I won’t spoil, are “witches” with access to powers and spells; other characters share with Jared a heritage that is more-than-human. There’s a bit of an American Gods vibe happening here, although I recognize the latter is a pastiche of various religions and mythologies whereas this one is much more about Jared’s personal journey through the cultures that lay claim to him.
As I don’t have the cultural background necessary to critique how Robinson portrays these elements, I’m not going to go into much detail there. However, I wasn’t sold on the way she uses the firefly beings that Jared sees to try to syncretize the magic with quantum mechanics. Any time someone tries to use quantum mechanics as an excuse for magic, a little alarm bell labelled “what the bleep to we know” goes off in my brain. It’s not that I’m against attempts to explain magic in pseudoscientific ways—that can be fun, because this is, after all, fiction. Nevertheless, these kinds of attempts at equivalency tend to muddle what is already a muddy subject, because quantum mechanics is counter-intuitive and poorly explained, let alone understood. I think I get why Robinson did this, but I could have done without that entire element. Thankfully, it isn’t a huge part of the plot and is easy enough to ignore.
In addition to the tech/culture savviness, I love the subversive moments, like this one where Robinson has characters confront the gender binary. For all that I loved most of the dialogue, I actually only highlighted one passage in this book:
“No, you don’t understand. I’m not regretting it. I’m saying I don’t believe in monogamy, but I don’t fall in the sack with just anyone. And I certainly don’t believe in gender the way you do, and you’ve made it clear that you find my ways ‘pervy.’”
“What”?
“I’m normally attracted to people willing to push heteronormative boundaries.”
Jacob felt his eye twitching. “So you’re gay?”
“There you go,” Sarah said. “Thinking in Western binaries again.”
“So you’re not gay.”
“It’s like talking to a wall,” Sarah said through gritted teeth. “Do you even listen to anything I say?”
“But what does that mean? For us?”
“It means you confuse the hell out of me. I’m frustrated.”
“Well, that’s a big ditto.”
“You’re so retro. How can I be with someone who still defines himself as strictly male?”
“So you like chicks? Or guys … or both? Is that, like, the trans one or the bi?”
Sarah stopped swinging her legs and coolly considered him. She hopped down. “You’re so not getting laid tonight.”
I’m so-so on Sarah as a character, but I like the romance/not-a-romance between her and Jared. Again, it feels a lot less contrived or stereotypical than how these kinds of relationships are so often portrayed in books featuring young adults.
As far as classifying this book, I suppose it might be called a “young adult novel”, though this is an example of how that label never really feels appropriate. This is a book adults should be reading, and a book that adolescents could read and enjoy too. Yes, there is sex and swearing and drugs and drinking in it. If you think your adolescent isn’t aware of these things among their peers and even participating in such things themselves, I have a pipeline I can sell to you.
I like the ending. I said before that this is not a novel of redemption, and I stand by that. This is a bleak book—but it’s bleakness with a hopeful ending. Like many such novels, it hits us hard and fast with so much that can go wrong in an adolescent’s life—and then it reminds us that there is always still hope. And I like that, for all that this book is about Jared’s potential link to a Trickster figure, the conclusion is ultimately about Jared becoming more of who he already is rather than trying to shape-shift his identity to match something he is not.
Son of a Trickster, then, is fantastic. I like its representation of an Indigenous teen (for what my opinion as a settler is worth), not that this is surprising considering its #ownvoices origin. Beyond this cultural dimension, though, I just love the book itself. The plot, setting, and characters all come together to deliver a breathtaking and beautiful book, and this is me holding my hand out saying, “Um, sequel please!”
December 19, 2017
[useless noodling; skip this paragraph if you want to get to the review!] there is a chinese wall between american readers and canadian literature. the only titan strong enough to have made a breach (but, see, it's her breach, no one but she can cross over, just like in kafka’s parable!) is Margaret Atwood. even nobel prize winner Alice Munro is not a household name among american readers. Miriam Toews -- i haven't dug into numbers, but this is what it seems to me -- is more popular in italy than she is south of the border. and sure, there are Carol Shields and Michael Ondaatje, but here is the catch: i bet that a good number of those who have heard of them do not know that they are canadian. even atwood. please prove me wrong.
a lot of the language is (teen?) jargon and shorthand and this, more than other things (this book is not big on descriptions and explanations) do the work of giving the reader a sense of the place, the time and the human climate. not all of it is immediately understandable to the non-local, non-teenage reader, but, like all good writers, robinson lets you figure it out on your own. jared, the son of a trickster (the formulation is meant to sounds a bit like son of a bitch, i.e. like a curse or insult, both of which it is, in a way), is the kind of kid who takes upon himself the job of keeping the adults of his family in house and home. he is no saint, but he’s got a clear set of morals, and he won’t be budged. jared does what needs to be done, damned the consequences.
we know that some characters are natives and some are not, but robinson doesn't seem that interested in demarcating exactly who is what. likewise, even though the town straddles the reservation, she is not interested in telling us what lies on which side.
the brutality of jared’s life is highlighted by the way the novel starts, which is idyllically, with loving mom, dad and child jared setting out to move because of dad's new job. robinson doesn’t tell us why things go so dramatically sideways in the next chapter, which takes place some ten years later, but after a bit you get a sense.
i am as far from a working class native american as i can possibly be (being, as i am, a white italian immigrant, educated and middle class, born, raised and educated in italy, barely assimilated yet somehow no longer properly italian either), but when the magic stuff, which is just as magic as it is theological, starts playing a stronger role in the novel, i sort of get something, and this something may be entirely wrong, but i feel i owe it robinson and the jareds of the world to try to say it what it is.
what i get is that cultures live in an always precarious equilibrium, and this equilibrium is, among other things, predicated on how they make sense of, partition if you will, good and evil. in other words, a culture is solid when people tend to agree on what is good and what is bad (in this particular time in the united states this agreement is getting more and more undermined and this is causing a tremendous cultural crisis). jared’s community, like, arguably, most communities, relies for its understanding of good and evil on a solid relationship with the divine. this is a theme that recurs in native literature so i don’t think i’m too far off. if this connection with the divine gets wobbly enough evil (a supernatural force according to pretty much all religions) has no balancing (good) force with which to be held at bay (in Son of a Trickster is certainly evil and damaging and corrosive, but also, via the figure of the trickster, it is mischievous and able to be bent to do the right thing).
this books is amazing.it took Eden Robinson eight years to write Son of a Trickster and it shows. from the first page what struck me about it is how perfect it is, how precise, how carefully built, sentence by little sentence, with that effortlessness that is always the product of painstaking labor. this precision in the language is juxtaposed to a whole lot of mess -- messy lives, messy hygiene, messy love, messy gastroenterology (lots of bad eating, not eating, and bad drinking, and TONS of throwing up). and, on a more technical level, seemingly (but in fact not) messy timelines and storylines. the language, it seems to me, is the one rigorous thing that holds everything together supple tendons superglue. it even keeps together jared, the adorable teenage protagonist, who speaks carefully, corrects those who speak imprecisely, and uses language in that fast, über-clever teen snark you wish you had had when you were a teen. needless to say, none of this makes him the most popular boy in town, but, miraculously, jared possesses that old-soul self-containedness some kids have (that, too, is something you wish you had had when you were a teen!) that allows them genuinely not to care.
a lot of the language is (teen?) jargon and shorthand and this, more than other things (this book is not big on descriptions and explanations) do the work of giving the reader a sense of the place, the time and the human climate. not all of it is immediately understandable to the non-local, non-teenage reader, but, like all good writers, robinson lets you figure it out on your own. jared, the son of a trickster (the formulation is meant to sounds a bit like son of a bitch, i.e. like a curse or insult, both of which it is, in a way), is the kind of kid who takes upon himself the job of keeping the adults of his family in house and home. he is no saint, but he’s got a clear set of morals, and he won’t be budged. jared does what needs to be done, damned the consequences.
this is not marketed as a YA book, but if you know a teen who is having a shitty time and who won't get traumatized by talk of sex and drugs, jared’s solid decency in the face of a decidedly shitty life may be something they might find solace in.the key features of jared's surroundings are poverty and lack of resources of all kinds. the entire community seems to consist of: more or less put-together habitations, some kind of all-purpose store, a liquor store, a church, a school. also, the beach, which is used mostly to party (but we do see this from a teen’s point of view, so maybe there is a whole other lot going on there too, though one is hard pressed to imagine what). partying at the beach equals getting high on booze and substances of all kinds. the kids and the adults in jared’s world all seem to find entertainment only in getting high, watching tv, gaming, and boning each other.
we know that some characters are natives and some are not, but robinson doesn't seem that interested in demarcating exactly who is what. likewise, even though the town straddles the reservation, she is not interested in telling us what lies on which side.
the brutality of jared’s life is highlighted by the way the novel starts, which is idyllically, with loving mom, dad and child jared setting out to move because of dad's new job. robinson doesn’t tell us why things go so dramatically sideways in the next chapter, which takes place some ten years later, but after a bit you get a sense.
i am as far from a working class native american as i can possibly be (being, as i am, a white italian immigrant, educated and middle class, born, raised and educated in italy, barely assimilated yet somehow no longer properly italian either), but when the magic stuff, which is just as magic as it is theological, starts playing a stronger role in the novel, i sort of get something, and this something may be entirely wrong, but i feel i owe it robinson and the jareds of the world to try to say it what it is.
what i get is that cultures live in an always precarious equilibrium, and this equilibrium is, among other things, predicated on how they make sense of, partition if you will, good and evil. in other words, a culture is solid when people tend to agree on what is good and what is bad (in this particular time in the united states this agreement is getting more and more undermined and this is causing a tremendous cultural crisis). jared’s community, like, arguably, most communities, relies for its understanding of good and evil on a solid relationship with the divine. this is a theme that recurs in native literature so i don’t think i’m too far off. if this connection with the divine gets wobbly enough evil (a supernatural force according to pretty much all religions) has no balancing (good) force with which to be held at bay (in Son of a Trickster is certainly evil and damaging and corrosive, but also, via the figure of the trickster, it is mischievous and able to be bent to do the right thing).
this is why the religious aspect is so brilliantly essential to the book, and i must say that robinson does it so darn well, with humor and that playful irreverence we often encounter in literature by people of color (cuz you’ve gotta laugh, dontcha? i mean, you can and will cry, but humor is what, at the end of the day, will keep you alive).you cannot starve a people, rob it of their jobs, rob it of land and prospects, rob of it the material makings of dignity and autonomy, and expect them to keep their culture alive. cultures need to be fed. they need food in the belly -- not any old crap food, but decent food, cuz the shitty food that doesn’t give real nourishment will make one puke, and puke, and puke, all book long.
January 27, 2021
This kind of morphed from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure to Twilight on acid. And yet, I liked it.
March 10, 2020
Son Of A Trickster by Eden Robinson is one of the finalists in Canada Reads 2020.
This novel gives a somber and realistic look at many aboriginal youth's enviroments in Canada and strong indicators of why many of these youth are substance dependent and have high suicide rates.
I really liked Jared, the main character. He is a self-sufficient aboriginal teen with a huge heart and numerous hardships.
The author gives us a strong cast of memorable supporting characters as well.
Confusing at times, yet an interesting and enjoyable read.
This novel definitely has a chance of winning Canada Reads 2020 as it does "Bring Canada Into Focus".
This novel gives a somber and realistic look at many aboriginal youth's enviroments in Canada and strong indicators of why many of these youth are substance dependent and have high suicide rates.
I really liked Jared, the main character. He is a self-sufficient aboriginal teen with a huge heart and numerous hardships.
The author gives us a strong cast of memorable supporting characters as well.
Confusing at times, yet an interesting and enjoyable read.
This novel definitely has a chance of winning Canada Reads 2020 as it does "Bring Canada Into Focus".
April 8, 2021
5 stars for this enchanting Bildungsroman! I couldn't put it down!
Son of a Trickster is both realistic and gritty, beautiful and magical, terrifying and funny, endearing and tragic all at the same time!
16 year old Jared, aka "Cookie Dude" amongst his peers, has a snarky mouth that often gets him into trouble. His maternal grandmother hates him, believing he is not human, rather a "Wee'git", a raven trickster from Pacific Northwest First Nation's mythology.
He also has a heart of gold. Jared gives all the money he earns from baking and selling his cannabis enhanced cookies to help support his divorced parents. His father, unemployed since a work related back injury, is addicted to Oxy. His mom, an alcoholic, often disappears weeks at a time with her drug dealer boyfriend. He takes care of his elderly neighbours and will always defend the outcasts who are bullied.
Strange things start happening that Jared doesn't understand; Ravens are talking to him, he meets people in his dreams, he sees monsters underneath people's skin. Is he partying too much and taking too many drugs? Or is there some truth to what his grandmother says, that he's not really human? This is a spoiler free review, so you'll just have to read this book to find out! And everyone should read it because it wonderful!
Edited to add this is a re-read for me. I loved this book just as much as the first time. In fact, now that I have read the entire trilogy I appreciated this book even more. There are so many details where that will later on come up again in the other 2 books.
I will just add that for people excepting a fun escapist young adult novel this might not be for them. Using First Nations mythology Robinson also touches topics like child abuse, alcoholism, drug use, self cutting, residential schools etc. In spite of this there is a lot of humour mainly from Jared's snarkiness and that fact that Jared is a kind soul and pure of heart
March 31, 2018
This novel rings brilliant changes on topics such as vomit--"The stew-like puddle stank beside the mattress"--and it does a wonderful job of representing characters whose main way of spending their lives is to grow stupefied together on booze or drugs or occasionally sex. All the characters speak in a witty-gritty way that I admire, but it almost felt as if Robinson is so good at all of the above--especially good at drunken dialog, for instance, or of writing characters who make stupid choices, or writing scenes that ignite with a sudden flash of violence--that it got to be too much for me, where it was a story that moved in circles rather than forward. I'm still a big fan but I felt Robinson's writing strengths eventually overwhelmed the actual story.
May 31, 2017
Great read, Jared is a very believable character with whom you can easily empathize. I would have given this five stars but I struggled with the supernatural aspect.
February 23, 2020
It's a too long YA origin story that hopefully sets up a better sequel. I guess I was just frustrated waiting. I get it - Jared's a little messed up, but golden hearted and maybe a little in love. His family has secrets and there's trouble afoot. I didn't need an entire book to tell me that.
There's undoubtably something simmering under the surface, threatening to break Jared Martin out of his high school reverie of baking pot cookies, getting drunk, stoned and screwed. Something more than the day-to-day chaos that is his life aided in no small part by his foul-mouthed and volatile mom with her string of questionable exes. One whose feet she nailed gunned to the floor, the other whose dog she killed, slamming her truck into his pitbull then calmly backing up over it again.
I'll bet this thing has legs but it feels like the first 3 episodes of an 8 episode arc that might improve if I was allowed to binge the season.
There's undoubtably something simmering under the surface, threatening to break Jared Martin out of his high school reverie of baking pot cookies, getting drunk, stoned and screwed. Something more than the day-to-day chaos that is his life aided in no small part by his foul-mouthed and volatile mom with her string of questionable exes. One whose feet she nailed gunned to the floor, the other whose dog she killed, slamming her truck into his pitbull then calmly backing up over it again.
I'll bet this thing has legs but it feels like the first 3 episodes of an 8 episode arc that might improve if I was allowed to binge the season.
April 1, 2018
For the first 2/3rds of this book I was wondering what exactly I was reading - I mean, I really liked the characters and story but it wasn’t living up to what the jacket made me think I was getting. Then the magical realism started and I was even more confused. It didn’t use the Trickster myth in the way I’ve seen it used in other Indigenous writing so that left me scratching my head. All that said, this was a very memorable and absorbing book. I loved how deep and real all the characters were, I loved that no one was 100% good or evil and just did good and shitty things. The magical elements were minor as compared to the bonds created between characters, the will to overcome circumstances, the love that was flawed but deep. I’ll be mulling on this one for years to come.
Want to read
June 4, 2021We all know it's an absolutely spectacular idea to choose a book according it's cover. Always. Totally. You definitely NEVER regret that. Ever.
April 1, 2020
"Eden Robinson is a masterful storyteller. Shimmering with deft prose, unforgettable characters, and haunting truths, SON OF A TRICKSTER reminds us that sometimes the shortest way to solid ground is through believing in magic."
- Quote by Ami McKay, author of The Birth House, The Virgin Cure and The Witches of New York
This is the first book of the five novels shortlisted for CANADA READS 2020 that I have read. I had a slow start and did not like all the swearing and use of the "c"word at the beginning of the book. However, the more pages I read, the more compelling it was to read more and more and more.
Eden Robinson, the prize-winning author of the classic novel MONKEY BEACH, blends irresistible humour with heartbreak in this compelling coming-of-age novel in which everyday teen existence crashes up against indigenous beliefs, crazy family dynamics and cannibalistic river otters.
My favourite character is Jared, a sixteen-year-old Indigenous boy living in poverty in Kitimat, British Columbia with his abusive alcoholic, partying mother and her drug selling boyfriend. Jared is a kind, good-hearted boy and tries to take care of his mother, the elderly couple next door, and makes and sells weed cookies to pay the rent to keep a roof over his father's head (who was hospitalized and once released became addicted to the painkillers), and his father's new wife, and step-daughter and her new baby, Ben.
Crashpad, also known as George, and Mrs. Jaks are other characters that I like.
Jared is trying to get an education and goes to school and puts up with a lot of teasing and bullying. To help relieve the stress of all the responsibilities, Jared drinks alcohol and joins in the drug parties.
Although this is fiction, I feel that it gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of many underprivileged people living in poverty today.
There are a few surprises in SON OF A TRICKSTER, and I liked the surprise ending. This is the first novel in Eden Robinson's trickster trilogy, and as Jared has won a spot in my heart, I would like to read the next two books. 4 stars ⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️
- Quote by Ami McKay, author of The Birth House, The Virgin Cure and The Witches of New York
This is the first book of the five novels shortlisted for CANADA READS 2020 that I have read. I had a slow start and did not like all the swearing and use of the "c"word at the beginning of the book. However, the more pages I read, the more compelling it was to read more and more and more.
Eden Robinson, the prize-winning author of the classic novel MONKEY BEACH, blends irresistible humour with heartbreak in this compelling coming-of-age novel in which everyday teen existence crashes up against indigenous beliefs, crazy family dynamics and cannibalistic river otters.
My favourite character is Jared, a sixteen-year-old Indigenous boy living in poverty in Kitimat, British Columbia with his abusive alcoholic, partying mother and her drug selling boyfriend. Jared is a kind, good-hearted boy and tries to take care of his mother, the elderly couple next door, and makes and sells weed cookies to pay the rent to keep a roof over his father's head (who was hospitalized and once released became addicted to the painkillers), and his father's new wife, and step-daughter and her new baby, Ben.
Crashpad, also known as George, and Mrs. Jaks are other characters that I like.
Jared is trying to get an education and goes to school and puts up with a lot of teasing and bullying. To help relieve the stress of all the responsibilities, Jared drinks alcohol and joins in the drug parties.
Although this is fiction, I feel that it gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of many underprivileged people living in poverty today.
There are a few surprises in SON OF A TRICKSTER, and I liked the surprise ending. This is the first novel in Eden Robinson's trickster trilogy, and as Jared has won a spot in my heart, I would like to read the next two books. 4 stars ⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2020
This novel was so unusual I'm not sure I can do it justice. It is wonderfully clever and creative and inventive. The dialogue is sharp and wickedly funny. Yet the story about an indigenous 16-year-old boy named Jared struggling with his dysfunctional family in a small British Columbia town is also very depressing. His mother is so violent that he literally fears she might kill someone. Drugs and alcohol are so endemic to the indigenous characters that they are basically part of the culture. When Jared wants his mother to stop using, her boyfriend tells him that he is disrespecting their traditions. Jared himself is high much of the time -- I don't think I've ever read a book in which vomiting is mentioned so frequently. Both he and the reader assume his hallucinations are drug-related, but it turns out that Jared has unwittingly tapped into the spirit world. It's a crazy ride, but I'm glad I went along for the great ending.
October 5, 2017
I'm generally not a fan of magical realism, but Eden Robinson makes it work here in the best kind of way. This was my first read from the 2017 Giller Prize short-list and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really liked the protagonist, Jared, and his development throughout. I also noticed threads of similarity between this novel and The Goldfinch, another book I really liked - that also happened to win a Pulitzer!
August 15, 2019
Many Indigenous children grew up hearing stories of Tricksters who were known by different names in each tribe. I grew up with stories of Nanabush/Nanabozho. A hero, a sly shape shifting (sometimes two spirited) Trickster who teaches children what to do by doing the exact opposite.
In the British Columbia/North Coast region, they grew up with stories of Wee’git, a Trickster who often appeared in the form of a raven. This is the Trickster we’re introduced to in Eden Robinson’s “Son of a Trickster,” along with the 16 year old protagonist Jared who is navigating a turbulent, dizzying alcohol filled life while trying to take care of his drug addled parents. We see Jared encounter Wee’git and uncover many startling secrets about his life and the lives of his entire family.
Robinson has written an intriguing novel that not only delves into the ongoing effects of intergenerational trauma, residential schools and substance abuse but also the importance of holding onto traditional ways of life.
I know some will read this work and think of it as a novel filled with magical and supernatural elements that are meant to be entertaining but I encourage those who choose to read the Trickster trilogy (and any Indigenous fiction) to remember that medicine women & men, the use of good & bad medicine, as well as intense visions, dreams and spirits are a sacred and essential part of First Nations culture.
In the British Columbia/North Coast region, they grew up with stories of Wee’git, a Trickster who often appeared in the form of a raven. This is the Trickster we’re introduced to in Eden Robinson’s “Son of a Trickster,” along with the 16 year old protagonist Jared who is navigating a turbulent, dizzying alcohol filled life while trying to take care of his drug addled parents. We see Jared encounter Wee’git and uncover many startling secrets about his life and the lives of his entire family.
Robinson has written an intriguing novel that not only delves into the ongoing effects of intergenerational trauma, residential schools and substance abuse but also the importance of holding onto traditional ways of life.
I know some will read this work and think of it as a novel filled with magical and supernatural elements that are meant to be entertaining but I encourage those who choose to read the Trickster trilogy (and any Indigenous fiction) to remember that medicine women & men, the use of good & bad medicine, as well as intense visions, dreams and spirits are a sacred and essential part of First Nations culture.
December 25, 2017
Reminds me of The Animators in the way it starts out as one thing and then takes an unexpected turn and becomes something completely different. Not an all-time favorite book or anything, but still an easy five stars for the character of Jared plus humor plus First Peoples mythology.
January 14, 2021
The language and setting is pretty rough for me, but I will be thinking about this book for a while. The ending was unexpected, and thought provoking for me.
December 30, 2020
This was really good. Robinson's story is engrossing and the use of daily life of Jared draws the reader in. There are sections that will make you laugh, and sections, one in particular where you will sob.
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