No one worries when the cell service and then the electricity goes out in the small Anishinaabe reservation in the North, but when no communication reaches them for days it becomes clear something apocalyptic has happened. How the community responds is at the heart of Waubgeshig Rice’s Moon of the Crusted Snow — part dystopian novel and part allegory for the treatment of the First Nations. What makes this book chilling is the believability of the situation, but plot holes and uneven writing leave it lacking slightly. ( )

In the wake of a mysterious catastrophic event, an isolated Anishinaabe community seems to be much better prepared than the people down south. For them, being left to survive on their own is not something new.

However, soon the refugees from the south will find their way up north. How are the Elders going to react? Can they work together to make it through the winter?

This was a quick and atmospheric read. The plot was interesting, if slow at times.
I loved reading about the way of life of this community, especially the dialogues between the Elders and the main character. This aspect of the book was the best part for me.

The novel is written in very plain language which came across as both a strength and a weakness. The atmosphere was good throughout the novel and very evocative of the title.

However, there were multiple issues with the writing style. I felt some parts were forced on the reader and we keep being told the obvious, which I really disliked.
With books like this, it is clear that the author tries to showcase a culture as well as tell a story. But, often this was done in a way where certain descriptions felt redundant as they didn't add anything to the plot or character development. Characters felt shallow and there was not much development. Even though there are a lot of things happening, we can barely tell by the way characters behave.

The thing I really disliked was the final conflict which was pushed to the extreme. Clearly, the whole setup is an allegory for the complex relationship between the First Nations and the colonial conquerors, but it felt heavy-handed which tilted the balance of an otherwise quiet book. But, judging by all the positive reviews, it struck a chord with the audience.

It seems like there's a sequel in the making. I will definitely pick it up when it comes out simply because I want to see what is left to be said about this story. ( )

Pretty good story. About indigenous people living in northern Ontario when some event occured and there was no longer electricity or water or any modern conveniences. So, they had no choice but to live off the land as their ancestors had. ( )

This tense, apocalyptic thriller is set on a relatively remote Anishinaabe reservation in a fictional version of northern Ontario. One day the telephones go down, then the radio and television, and finally the power. Supply trucks that regularly deliver food and other stapes stop showing up, and as winter sets in, conditions become more dire. No one knows why this happened, and they learn that it is more widespread than their own remote area when two young members of their tribe who were attending university in the nearest city return a couple of weeks later to the reservation with tales of panic and chaos setting in. A white man, Justin Scott, who followed the snowmobile tracks of the two young men also turns up, as do some other white people. Scott is the story’s villain: he brings divisiveness, violence, and deceit to the village. In addition to the problems presented by this event (it is never explained why the power and all infrastructure has failed), the author also gives a nod to regular problems facing Indigenous populations in North America – alcohol and drug abuse, depression, suicide—although they take a back seat to the major plot of coping with diminishing resources. Interesting characters. ( )

Rather elementary, in that the writing style is like a chapter book from a grade five reading assignment. Not my preference. The story was relatively pat and obvious. There are clear "bad guys" and "good guys" which means the characters are rather flat and static. Especially the bad guy, who is painted as such from the moment his all-in-black archetype arrives in the village. Yes, there's some sharing of indigenous culture, but nothing I haven't read in other, better written, more interesting works. Sure, as an "all community read" it works, but that overarching demographic matches its mediocrity. ( )