It’s been a pretty long time since I last rounded up all the books I’ve been reading lately. After a bit of a slump last year I’m finally back on track and surprisingly Here’s a round up of what I’ve been reading lately.

Hawk | Jennifer Dance (Dundurn Press)

“Hawk, a First Nations teen from northern Alberta, is a cross-country runner who aims to win gold in an upcoming competition between all the schools in Fort McMurray. But when Hawk discovers he has leukemia, his identity as a star athlete is stripped away, along with his muscles and energy. When he finds an osprey, “a fish hawk,” mired in a pond of toxic residue from the oil sands industry, he sees his life-or-death struggle echoed by the young bird.”

Part social commentary on the environmental impact of the oil fields in Alberta, as well as their effect on the First Nation and indigenous communities, and part YA story of a family trying to pull themselves back together. Hawk is a really wonderful take on a now fairly common YA trope of a teenager living with a de-habilitating illness.

Told in first person you really get a sense of Hawk’s inner fears as well as clear influences of his upbringing and background as a First Nations teenager. The use of folklore and narration, as well as the clear bond between Hawk and his grandfather is refreshing to read. Not to mention the story itself is a great example of how culture and politics can weave itself into a more personal narrative, whilst also remaining totally accessible to a YA audience.

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