Joshua reviewed Poor Deer by Claire Oshetsky
None
4 stars
(Realistically, a 4.25 rating) Oshetsky does a great job capturing the process of loss and grief through a child's eyes. The author's surreal take on the process of the simultaneous loss of life and being the cause of that loss was refreshing as a reader. I thoroughly enjoyed the personification of Margaret's grief and inner turmoil through Poor Deer. The imagery created from Margaret's religious upbringing, combined with the dichotomy of an "innocent" creature berating this child for her "crime," Poor Dear/Poor Deer, and the last articles of clothing Margaret remembers Ruby wearing, made it interesting to connect the different plot points. I did not read this to analyze every detail thoroughly, so I'm sure I've missed a few things intentionally added by the author. The writing was medium-paced and not very dense. While I typically enjoy endings where the fate of the character is up to our interpretations, I …
(Realistically, a 4.25 rating) Oshetsky does a great job capturing the process of loss and grief through a child's eyes. The author's surreal take on the process of the simultaneous loss of life and being the cause of that loss was refreshing as a reader. I thoroughly enjoyed the personification of Margaret's grief and inner turmoil through Poor Deer. The imagery created from Margaret's religious upbringing, combined with the dichotomy of an "innocent" creature berating this child for her "crime," Poor Dear/Poor Deer, and the last articles of clothing Margaret remembers Ruby wearing, made it interesting to connect the different plot points. I did not read this to analyze every detail thoroughly, so I'm sure I've missed a few things intentionally added by the author. The writing was medium-paced and not very dense. While I typically enjoy endings where the fate of the character is up to our interpretations, I did not want that with this story. Throughout the novel, the entire premise of the plot is based on Margaret's and Poor Deer's back and forth of the story being told truthfully and realistically, with Margaret often leaning toward unrealistic expectations for a happy ending and Poor Deer chastising her and making her tell the story over. We get the idealized ending for Margaret, but the readers are left on a cliff-hanger; the decision is ultimately up to us to decide the fate of this child. I think it is a great concept, but a concrete ending would have been more satisfying with this story. We don't need a fairy-tale happy ending, but to know whether or not this character even makes it to this last destination is worth knowing.
