Son of a Trickster

By: Eden Robinson

Narrated by: Jason Ryll

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 humor 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 16 but feels like he is the one who must stabilize his family's life, even look out for his elderly neighbors. 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.

©2017 Eden Robinson (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

an entertaining story

The storyline was imaginative and entertaining. The settings, characters and magical elements were easy to picture in my head. However, the plot left unanswered questions that I hope will be answered in the sequel.

eden robinson writes truth in fiction

eden robinson is probably already my favorite author and to date the only writer that writes characters i can fully relate to. this series brings the mundane and the magical into stark relief. cannot recommend her unique voice strongly enough. if you like American gods style magical realism you'll love this series.

Different

the way this story is told it's very different but you can still follow it. I feel like there's so much here and I want to keep listening to see where it leads.

slow start but compelling enough

I watched the CBC series Trickster first, and this book moves much slower than the show, but it's compelling enough with many flawed, mundane, and relatable characters

So freaking good

I was warned that the time wouldn't be linear and was apprehensive about it, but the writer did such a good job keeping my interests and the story was great.

Story is very good (5) but disliked narrator (2)

I enjoyed the book, not for the pure literary work but because I enjoyed the just story so much. I have read a lot of works by indigenous authors and I like Robinson. Really bad pick for a narrator in my opinion - Ryll’s voice sounds too monotone for me. This Bildungsroman of a North American Indigenous boy has the common obstacles but a bat crazy mom puts his obstacles in a different league. He childhood is peppered with trauma and then he finds out that he has some supernatural abilities and needs AA. Great dysfunctional characters and good dialogue, but Jared’s character has a maturity that is sometimes a stretch. I will give the book a wide berth because I could not stop listening and it dips into the supernatural, so Jared is a solid character to me. I already purchased book 2.

Contemporary turn on old stories

Engaging characters who are living in highly dysfunctional family units trying to come to grips with teenage angst and paranormal shenanigans.

Really good read

Wonderful series with fantasy/magic themes and yet real, believable and likable characters and story. And not as predictable as many in the genre. Really love this.

Not Enough Fantasy. Too much pot.

Was looking for a trickster themed story. Got a story about someone taking pot frequently with the occasional fantasy scene. I got bored quickly and didnt finish.

DNF at Chapter 12

While I feel empathy for the main character, I’m twelve chapters in and there is not a single character with whom I want to spend another second. As a general comment, there is also no functional plot. Up to chapter twelve, at least, it is nothing but day in the life after day in the life after day in the life. In addition to not liking “Son of a Trickster,” it’s just too boring to finish.