I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, David A. Robertson, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

When Cole Harper is compelled to return to Wounded Sky First Nation, he finds his community in chaos: a series of shocking murders, a mysterious illness ravaging the residents, and reemerging questions about Cole’s role in the tragedy that drove him away 10 years ago. With the aid of an unhelpful spirit, a disfigured ghost, and his two oldest friends, Cole tries to figure out his purpose, and unravel the mysteries he left behind a decade ago. Will he find the answers in time to save his community?

STRANGERS by David A. Robertson is a young adult supernatural mystery. The author does a great job of using the mysteries to build character, but the buildup was a bit too slow for my taste. It seemed like the story didn't start getting fun and exciting until after the second half began. Being a YA novel, that was a risky decision on the author's part. With that being said, I think the world-building is done well enough to make for a compelling YA series.

It took me a little while to get into this one, partly because it's confusing at the beginning what the backstory is, but once I did get into it I liked the small-town politics of Wounded Sky a lot, although some of the adults' reactions to Cole seemed kind of exaggerated. I know the author is a graphic novelist so I wonder if maybe some of the problems I had with the book are to do with him not being as used to working in prose? I enjoyed it and I will probably check out the sequels to see where he goes with it, but I would have liked a little more depth to the characters and backstory I think.

How many Canadian detectives are there? How many are First Nation? How many are teenagers? I somehow doubt there are a whole lot there.

David Robertson writes Cole as a typical teenage boy, except, as we go further in the novel, we discover he is not typical. That when he saved his friends from a burning school, by lifting a wall, it was not a one off. That there is more than we know about Cole.

And then there is Coyote, disguised sometimes as a man, and sometimes as a coyote, who is trying to prompt Cole into some sort of action. That is often the problem with young heroes. You have to push them to do what they are supposed to do.

The last quarter of the book pushes the story along, at a good pace, and if the whole book had been like that, it probably would have gotten four stars. The opening of the book is a bit on the slow side, but then, since this is looking like a trilagy, perhaps that is just to get to know the characters.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Impressively imaginative novel! Its unique Indigenous perspective was refreshing alongside vivid characters and witty dialogue. Looking forward to reading more of the Reckoner series!